A man operates an unmanned aerial vehicle to spray pesticides in Binhu, Wuxi. [Photo/WeChat account: wxbhfb]

Binhu district in Wuxi, East China's Jiangsu province recently used unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to spray pesticides on 320 mu (21.33 hectares) of wheat fields in Qunfeng sub-district.

The UAV, which can carry 40 kilograms of pesticides and cover 300-500 mu of cropland per day, is 20 times more efficient than manual labor. Moreover, the cost of spraying pesticides is only a few yuan per mu, much cheaper than using human workers, said Shi Xiaohai, a farm owner in Mashan.

Shi added that the use of UAVs would also allow the spraying of pesticides to take place despite the temporary shortage of manpower caused by COVID-19 control measures.

According to an official at the district's bureau of agriculture and rural affairs, the use of UAVs to spray pesticides is 70 to 80 percent effective in preventing fusarium head blight, a fungal disease commonly seen on wheat. In contrast, the manual spraying of pesticides is 20 percent less effective.

The bureau has also invited experts to train agricultural technicians and farmers in the operation of the UAVs.

Binhu presently has eight UAVs and a professional service team for this purpose. Customized services catered to different landscapes and crops are expected to be rolled out in the near future.