Chateauneuf du Pape - Wines - Domaine André Brunel - Les Cailloux

Drone in agriculture: why to use them ?

Drones in the vineyard

Nowadays, the more a professional in the field of art, cinema, culture or even construction would not think it possible to achieve precision and performance as easily as with the use of a drone.

This technological tool presents eclectic uses that make it an ally of choice for a farmer wanting to improve his yields or facilitate tasks. 

Technology for agriculture and viticulture

These tools (called “civilian”, or more professional tools) can be used by farmers or grape growers for various reasons in their daily lives because of their considerable advantages:

  • An improvement in precision: whether in terms of spreading, spraying, control of vineyard or crop diseases, the health of the different plots, etc., drones will facilitate the farmer’s profession by optimizing his yields by collecting data, even in areas where access is normally complex. 
  • An optimization of its cultures: by the collected data, geolocated with precision, the tool allows the operator to refine, for example, the quantity of products to use, to reduce or increase the irrigation of an area or to estimate the yield of a plot. 
  • Task Facilitation: it will be part of the job for you, saving you strength and performing better on tasks that will never be machine replaceable. 

The different types of drones for agriculture or viticulture 

The spraying drones

The more expensive spraying drone is a technological jewel that will revolutionize the approach of the crop: this system allows to carry out the spraying in an extremely precise way by the sensors and cameras present on the tool.

The small, mobile ROV can have access to remote plots of land that are not easily accessible to large agricultural machines. These drones adapt the spraying to different crops for a «personalized» and efficient spreading. The operator saves money because the quantity used is optimized. Everything can be automated.

The assistance drones

More common and affordable, the assistance drone will help the operator in his daily tasks: by collecting data, it will allow an optimization of tasks, products, future investments and the yield of the earth.

It can check and control the diseases of a plot and will thus allow the control of irrigation, the control of the spraying of products (pesticides etc.) and specify the fertilization. The data collected, if processed intelligently, can therefore save the operator time, money and the health of his land.

Specificities of use in viticulture

The assistance drone is a real asset for viticulture: thanks to its daily flights (which can be automated), it will control the health of the vines. Thus, the first signs of disease are detected extremely quickly (phylloxera, mildew etc.) and can be treated as quickly as possible, to avoid more widespread contamination of the vines.
Irrigation can be adapted according to the data collected by the tool and refined according to the plots. Coupled with good software that also analyzes weather, for example, it will save the operator time according to the old adage, “Prevention is better than cure”.

The time saved for the winemaker is incredible: the vines will be healthier for a better-quality wine, saving money and improving the management of his time use. Finally, the camera (or) of the drone (s) will allow the winemaker to control the size of the clusters, the health of the feet, the area occupied by the vines, the need to prune some of them etc... 

The spraying drone can also be used in a vineyard, with the same advantages as mentioned above: precision and optimization of the diffusion and spraying of different products and access to difficult areas. 

 

In conclusion, this new technological tool is revolutionizing the work of the vine: its use is not innate, but remains easy to take in hand when guided by a serious professional.

Some French startups now specialize in agricultural or wine drone and offer tools and software adapted to the needs of farmers. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with these enthusiasts to learn more about this new way of managing your farm.

And to discover our expertise, come and visit our Estate!

Published : 2022-02-01

RSS feed