Peculiarities of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Use in Crop Production in Russia: A Review

Abstract

This review article examines the potential for intensifying Russian crop production through digital transformation, particularly through the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). (1) The importance of this topic is driven by declining food security in some parts of the world and the Russian government’s goal to increase grain exports by 2050. (2) Comparisons of agriculture technologies suggest that the use of UAVs for crop treatment with agrochemicals is economically effective in certain cases. (3) Specifically, UAV treatment is advantageous for plots with irregular shapes, larger than 2 ha, and containing between 9 and 19% infertile land. It is also important to agree on the flight parameters of the UAV, such as speed and altitude, as well as the type of on-board sprayer and agrochemical. In case of insufficient funds or expertise, it is recommended to hire specialized companies. (4) The listed peculiarities of Russian crop production led to assumptions about the regions where the use of UAVs for agrochemical treatment of crops would be economically effective.