Drone pest management

In the face of climate change, pest infestations on agricultural land are becoming more and more of a problem and the sustainability of our future food systems relies greatly on our ability to adopt and create innovative solutions in pest management. Drone based pest management offers a way to monitor crop pest infestation and implement precision control systems to control pest infestations, prevent unnecessary chemical use, and reduce harvest losses. This pest management practice uses drones to monitor croplands creating a map of pest infestations and allowing for quick identification of pest infested areas. After identifying infested areas, drones that specialize in precision based control systems take steps to reduce those infestations. The drones do this either by releasing limited amounts of pesticides or a small amount of the pest’s natural predators onto the infested areas. Other precision based techniques, in drone based pest management, used to reduce pest populations consist of releasing sterile insects and releasing pheromones to confuse the insects. Drone based pest management is a fairly noninvasive technique that reduces the normal toll that pest management usually takes on the crops. Proximately, drone based pest management will prevent pest outbreaks and reduce pest populations through the application of precise pest management techniques and strategies. Ultimately, drone based pest management will help us adapt to climate change, increase planetary health, and improve food security.