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Villagers in Qutou village, Zezhou county, watch a drone spread pesticide on farmland on Feb 28. [Photo/sxrb.com] |
A recent trial in Zezhou county in Shanxi province has shown how effective drones can be in improving the efficiency of farm work.
In the trial at Qutou village on Feb 28, a drone, or an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), sprayed pesticide on farmland, taking only a few minutes to do a task that normally takes half a day's work.
A crowd of local onlookers at the trial were impressed by the drone's capabilities.
The P20 UAV used in the trial was developed by Xaircraft, a UAV company based in Guangzhou.
Without complex operation through remote control, the drone can automatically avoid obstructions, adjust the spraying and fly according to Global Positioning System (GPS), the Beidou navigation satellite system, and a built-in system which collects information about local farmlands.
Drones for plant protection will benefit agricultural production because of their high efficiency, thorough spraying and ability to cover difficult terrain.
"Although our county has introduced mechanization to growing corn, wheat and soybean, the management of daily farm work still needs much more improvement," said Chang Haiqing, deputy director of agricultural machinery administration in Zezhou county.
"UAVs will help farmers in Zezhou improve daily farm work."
Currently, the UAVs are undergoing further field tests in Bagong and Jincun towns in the county.
