Preliminary Study on Pesticide Application in Paddy Field using Drone Sprayer

Abstract

The usage of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) or drones in agriculture is still new in Malaysia. There are very few studies to determine the effectiveness of spraying chemicals using a drone that can suit the weather and environmental factors in Malaysia. This paper aims to investigate the efficacy of the pesticide application using a drone sprayer in a paddy field. The plot is 0.5 hectares located at MARDI Seberang Perai. The study was done from June until November 2019. The pesticide application was carried out 4 times which was 32 days after sowing (DAS), 46 DAS, 70 DAS, and 102 DAS. There were two types of chemicals used in this experiment, which were used to control the pesticide and the disease. The study involves two methods of chemical application, which were drone and knapsack applications. The number of pesticides and percentages of disease attacks was taken within 1 week before and after spraying. From the results, the application of the drone on pesticides spraying was not any different with manual application with the current normal practices nowadays. Rice farmers have the option to choose what application to use in their field to control insect pests. In this, they have to consider the cost, availability, field and hazardous conditions. However, to get a better result, this experiment should be repeated during suitable seasons.