Drones take off to fight weeds

For the first time, weed pesticide application was carried out with drone at Aksu Farm belonging to Akdeniz University Faculty of Agriculture.

Akdeniz University Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Cengiz Toker, Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture Prof. Dr. Mustafa Erkan, Antalya Muratpasa Chamber of Agriculture President Nazif Alp, academics and many students attended. Speaking at the event, Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture Prof. Dr. Mustafa Erkan said, “Wheat was planted as the main product this year in all of our Aksu Farm, which covers an area of 84 decares. One of the factors that negatively affect the yield in wheat production is weeds. These weeds, which we describe as the true offspring of the field, compete with the cultivated plant and share the nutrients, water and light that the main product wheat will use. Since it is the true child of the field, it makes better use of these nutritional elements and suppresses the development of the wheat we grow as a culture plant. For this reason, every year in February, weeds are combated by using herbicides.

'The efficiency difference between spraying with drone and spraying with tractor will be measured'

prof. Dr. Erkan said, “Traditionally, this spraying, which is done with the help of a tractor-mounted sprayer, was carried out by drone for the first time in our faculty this year. For this purpose, both our students and academicians, as well as Aksu farmers, were informed about this technological innovation and its advantages. One of the most important advantages of drone spraying is that it can be sprayed from the air regardless of field conditions. From time to time, it is not possible to enter the field with a tractor due to heavy rains, and the optimum spraying time may be missed. On the other hand, since the field is not entered with a tractor, the product is prevented from being crushed and damaged. Another advantage of the use of drones is that areas with weed density can be detected by mapping and it allows the use of herbicides as much as the actual need. In this way, there is a potential to reduce the inputs,' he said.

'Scientific work'

Dean Prof. Dr. Mustafa Erkan stated that not all of the cultivated areas were sprayed with drones, and that a part of the area was sprayed with the help of a tractor-mounted sprayer, adding, 'Thus, we have turned this activity into a scientific study and research at the same time. By observing the cultivated areas until the harvest period, we will also have the chance to reach the output of the yield difference and advantages between spraying with a drone and spraying with the help of a tractor-mounted sprayer.