CHENNAI: The Centre For Aerospace Research (CASR) at Anna University has initiated a pest management project in which fuel-operated drones are utilised to tackle high populations of whiteflies affecting coconut farms, especially in the Pollachi region.
CASR sources said a small-scale trial carried out recently at five coconut farms in Pollachi yielded significant results. During the pilot project, several litres of organic solution — prepared by the farmers — were sprayed on the crown of trees using fuel-operated drones to carry the heavy payload.
CASR director Senthil Kumar, who is overseeing the project, said there was no concrete solution to the pest problem. Before using drones, farmers were able to apply pesticide on the trees only up to 10-12 feet from the ground, he said.
“The farmers were left with no option other than cutting off the [affected] trees. A few farmers approached us for help, following which we chalked out the project,” he said.
Sharing the project details, Senthil said the team initially had to survey the farms and geo-tag the trees — attaching a geographical location and other details like height to a tree. Taking five farms as test cases, they attempted spraying the organic formula, prepared using items like neem oil, cow dung, camphor powder, and turmeric, using an electric drone, which proved largely ineffective, he said.
Then, they shifted to high-powered fuel-operated drones that also had a better storage capacity for the organic solution, he said. “The crown parts of the trees were covered with a thick layer of the pest and a random spraying was of no use. We needed to spray at least two litres of the solution on one tree, so we used fuel-operated drones,” he said.
The drone first flies atop the trees, sprays the solution, and then hovers over the trees for 10 seconds to ensure the solution is spread properly. A member of the team said, “Our drone pilots are working closely with farmers. Our teams are slowly expanding to other farms in a 10-km radius.” Sources said only the institute-owned drones were being used for the project and that the farmers do not have to bear any sort of expenses for the whole operation.
An official from the agricultural department said, “After spraying the solution, we are seeing a significant drop in the number of whiteflies.” K Saktivel, a farmer from Kanjampatti, said, “Though the damage done cannot be reversed, the solution helps control the intensity of the pest attack.” Senthil said the centre would spread awareness about the project in other areas.