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Agriculture Drones in Sugarcane Fields: Enhancing Yield and Crop Health

GirnarBot Drones in action. Location: Pune, Urulikanchan. Watch full video: Click here
GirnarBot Drones in action. Location: Pune, Urulikanchan. Watch full video: Click here

Introduction

Sugarcane is a vital cash crop grown across tropical and subtropical regions, contributing significantly to the global sugar industry and rural economies. However, sugarcane cultivation faces several challenges, including pest infestations, fungal and viral diseases, nutrient management issues, and uneven field coverage due to topography. Precision agriculture, powered by drones, offers a transformative solution. In this blog, we explore how drone-based spraying enhances sugarcane health, the common diseases affecting sugarcane, and how foliar application of nano-urea, nano DAP, and other nano formulations via drones optimizes crop nutrition and disease control.


1. The Role of Drones in Modern Sugarcane Cultivation


1.1 Evolution of Agricultural Drones

  • Early adoption for aerial imaging and mapping

  • Transition to payload-carrying multispectral and spraying platforms

  • Advantages: speed, precision, cost-effectiveness

1.2 Why Sugarcane Fields Benefit from Drone Spraying

  • Large field expanses with heavy biomass

  • Uniform canopy height and density

  • Challenges of ground-based spraying: compaction, slow coverage, missed areas

  • Drone advantages: top-down penetration, adjustable spray parameters, access to difficult terrain


2. Common Diseases in Sugarcane and Their Impact


Sugarcane yields can be severely curtailed by biological stressors. Key diseases include:

2.1 Red Rot (Colletotrichum falcatum)

  • Symptoms: reddening of internal tissue, wilting, top rot

  • Impact: up to 50% yield loss in severe outbreaks

2.2 Smut (Sporisorium scitamineum)

  • Symptoms: black whip-like structures on cane, stunted growth

  • Impact: quality deterioration and reduced sucrose content

2.3 Pokkah Boeng (Fusarium verticillioides)

  • Symptoms: leaf twisting, chlorosis, malformed internodes

  • Impact: up to 30% yield reduction

2.4 Leaf Scald (Xanthomonas albilineans)

  • Symptoms: white streaks on leaves, wilting, cane death

  • Impact: decreases vigor and standability

2.5 Mosaic Virus

  • Symptoms: mottled leaf pattern, reduced photosynthesis

  • Impact: variable yield losses, quality issues


3. Foliar Nutrition: Why Top-Down Spraying Matters


3.1 Mechanism of Foliar Uptake

  • Cuticular penetration versus stomatal entry

  • Importance of droplet size, surfactants, and formulation stability

3.2 Comparison of Soil vs. Foliar Application

Aspect

Soil Application

Foliar Drone Spraying

Nutrient leaching

High

Minimal

Speed of uptake

Slow

Rapid

Coverage uniformity

Variable, hotspots

Consistent top-down coverage

Labor and fuel costs

High

Lower per hectare


4. Nano-Fertilizers and Their Advantages

Nano-formulations deliver nutrients at the molecular level, improving efficiency and reducing environmental impact.


4.1 Nano Urea

  • Composition: nano-sized urea particles suspended in water

  • Benefits: enhanced nitrogen use efficiency (up to 30% savings), reduced volatilization, rapid correction of nitrogen deficiency

4.2 Nano DAP (Di-Ammonium Phosphate)

  • Composition: nano DAP crystals

  • Benefits: improved phosphorus availability, better root growth, early establishment, enhanced sucrose accumulation

4.3 Other Nano Formulations

  • Nano Zn, nano Mg for micronutrient supplementation

  • Nano-based fungicides and bactericides for targeted disease control


5. Drone-Based Application Techniques


5.1 Spray Parameters and Calibration

  • Nozzle selection for optimum droplet size (100–250 microns)

  • Flight altitude (2–3 meters) and speed (5–8 m/s) for canopy penetration

  • Spray volume (15–25 L/ha) depending on crop stage and formulation

5.2 Mapping and Prescription Sets

  • Use of multispectral imaging for disease hotspots and nutrient deficiency mapping

  • Prescription maps to vary application rate across field zones

5.3 Safety and Regulatory Compliance

  • Drone operator certification requirements

  • DGCA regulations for agricultural drone spraying in India

  • Best practices: buffer zones, weather constraints (wind <5 m/s)


6. Impact on Sugarcane Yield and Quality

Several studies and field trials demonstrate significant benefits:


6.1 Yield Improvements

  • 10–20% yield increase reported with nano urea foliarspray via drone

  • Improved tiller count and cane weight

6.2 Disease Suppression

  • Early fungicide application of nano-formulated treatments reduces red rot incidence by up to 40%

  • Smut incidence lowered by targeted bactericide nano sprays

6.3 Cost-Benefit Analysis

Parameter

Traditional

Drone + Nano-Foliar

Input cost (fertilizer + labor)

₹12,000/ha

₹9,000/ha (with nano savings)

Yield (t/ha)

80

92

Net profit (₹/ha)

40,000

52,000


7. Case Study: Maharashtra Sugarcane Farms


7.1 Farm Profile

  • Location: Ahmednagar district

  • Farm size: 100 ha

7.2 Intervention

  • Pre-season diagnosis with drone imaging

  • Two foliarsprays: nano urea at 45 DAP, nano DAP + micronutrients at 75 DAP

7.3 Results

  • Uniform crop vigor (NDVI uniformity improved from 0.6 to 0.8)

  • Yield jump from 78 t/ha to 95 t/ha

  • Reduced disease outbreak; less fungicide required


8. Implementation Roadmap for Farmers

  1. Needs Assessment: Soil test & drone survey

  2. Prescription Mapping: Identify nutrient and disease hotspots

  3. Formulation Selection: Choose appropriate nano fertilizers and crop protection agents

  4. Drone Spraying: Calibrated top-down application in critical crop stages

  5. Monitoring: Follow-up imaging and foliar analysis

  6. Harvest Evaluation: Compare yield & quality gains


9. Challenges and Future Directions


9.1 Adoption Barriers

  • Initial investment in drone services

  • Awareness of nano-fertilizer benefits

9.2 Research Needs

  • Long-term environmental impact studies of nano formulations

  • Integration with IoT sensors for real-time dosing

9.3 Policy Support

  • Subsidies for precision agriculture equipment

  • Training programs for drone operators


10. Conclusion

Precision spraying with drones, combined with nano-fertilizer technology, offers a sustainable path to boost sugarcane yield, manage disease pressure, and optimize input usage. As adoption grows, data-driven interventions will further refine prescription models, ensuring swifter ROI for farmers and healthier crops for consumers.


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