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Assessment of Farmers’ Knowledge of Drone Applications in Agricultural Production

Abstract

Drone technology is increasingly being applied in agriculture to support farm monitoring, crop assessment, field mapping, pest and disease surveillance, irrigation management, and other production activities. Agricultural drones can provide farmers with timely and detailed information about farm conditions and may improve the efficiency of decision-making and resource management. Farmers’ knowledge of drone applications is therefore important for understanding their potential benefits and determining the extent to which the technology can be incorporated into agricultural production. This study will assess farmers’ knowledge of drone applications in agricultural production. It will examine farmers’ awareness and understanding of the uses of drones in farming and determine their knowledge of the different agricultural activities that can be supported through drone technology. The study will also identify areas of strength and gaps in farmers’ knowledge of drone applications and examine the sources from which farmers obtain information about agricultural drone technology. The study will focus on farmers’ knowledge of drone-based crop monitoring, field mapping, aerial imaging, crop health assessment, pest and disease surveillance, precision spraying, soil and field assessment, irrigation monitoring, livestock monitoring, and farm planning. It will also examine farmers’ understanding of the potential benefits of drones, including improved farm monitoring, timely identification of production problems, efficient application of farm inputs, reduction of field inspection time, and improved agricultural decision-making. Farmers’ sources of information on drone technology, including extension agents, social media, agricultural organisations, technology providers, fellow farmers, and training programmes, will also be considered. A quantitative research approach will be adopted for the study. Data will be collected from farmers using structured questionnaires designed to assess their knowledge, awareness, and sources of information concerning drone applications in agricultural production. The data collected will be analysed using descriptive statistics such as frequency counts, percentages, mean, and standard deviation. Correlation and regression analysis will also be used to examine relationships between farmers’ access to drone-related information and their level of knowledge of agricultural drone applications. The study is expected to reveal varying levels of farmers’ knowledge of drone applications in agricultural production. Some farmers may have adequate awareness of basic applications such as aerial monitoring and crop assessment, while others may have limited knowledge of more advanced applications such as precision spraying, field mapping, and crop health analysis. Limited access to drone demonstrations, inadequate technical information, high technology costs, insufficient digital skills, and limited exposure to agricultural technology training may contribute to gaps in farmers’ knowledge. The study will be useful to farmers, agricultural extension agents, government agricultural agencies, drone technology providers, research institutions, agricultural development organisations, policymakers, and researchers. The findings may provide useful information for designing training and awareness programmes on the practical applications of drones in agriculture. The study may also assist extension organisations and technology providers in developing accessible learning materials and demonstrations that improve farmers’ understanding of drone-based agricultural technologies. The study concludes that adequate knowledge of drone applications is important for enabling farmers to understand the potential uses and benefits of drone technology in agricultural production. It is therefore recommended that agricultural extension agencies and relevant technology organisations should provide farmers with practical training, demonstrations, and accessible information on agricultural drone applications. Greater collaboration among extension services, research institutions, technology providers, and farmer organisations should also be encouraged to improve farmers’ exposure to and understanding of drone technology.

Keywords: Drone applications, farmers’ knowledge, agricultural production, agricultural drones, drone technology, precision agriculture, crop monitoring, aerial imaging, field mapping, pest surveillance, disease monitoring, precision spraying, digital agriculture, agricultural technology, farm management.