Drone technology tapped for rice farming

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The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) has signed a memorandum of understanding with agricultural technology provider XAG to validate the application of smart agriculture technologies in rice-based cropping systems through experimentation and research.

Under the partnership, IRRI and XAG will start the collaboration with the use of drone technology, they said in a statement Monday night.

XAG, through its Philippine partner Agridom, donated agricultural drones to IRRI.

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“Drones have been increasingly used for high throughput phenotyping, crop monitoring, improving agricultural productivity and supporting precision farming. By providing efficient tools for crop monitoring, precision input application and data-driven decision-making, drones provide the potential to significantly reduce costs and increase yields, optimizing resource use and minimizing environmental impact,” said Steve Klassen, IRRI senior scientist and digital agriculture and precision farming lead.

IRRI said the use of drones could rapidly provide measurements of traits related to growth, yield and stress adaptation.

It also mentioned that the technology is particularly valuable to smallholder farmers, who must improve their productivity and reduce production costs to be competitive and stay in business in response to climate change, labor shortages and higher input costs.

However, IRRI said the use of drones for agricultural applications in the Philippines is slowed down by limited access to technology, lack of standard protocols, financial resources and regulatory constraints.

“To overcome these challenges, we need a comprehensive approach that involves targeted training, guidelines for best practices, financial incentives and supportive government policies,” Klassen said.

IRRI said it is also working with the Department of Agriculture and the Philippine Rice Research Institute together with their allied bureaus on the Drones4Rice Project, which aims to streamline and standardize drone protocols for applying seeds, fertilizers and pesticides in the country. 

Agridom’s donated drones will support the ongoing Drones4Rice project in the Philippines and other global initiatives on sustainable farming and digital accelerators, IRRI added.

“XAG’s agricultural drones can be applied to various precision farming scenarios, specifically but not limited to direct seeding, pesticide spraying, fertilizer operation and remote sensing. We hope to expand our engagements abroad to strengthen global food security and tackle climate change, as rice is the primary staple food that feeds over half of the world’s population,” said Wei Tong, XAG head of international business.

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