Vol. 12, Special Issue 8 (2023)

Author(s):
Hridya Raveendran, Dr. K Uma, Dr. K Divya, Dr. Ravikumar Theodore and Dr. R Pangayar Selvi

Abstract:
Drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), have the capacity to bring about a revolution in agriculture as they can effectively address various challenges such as labor shortages, high input costs, difficulties in detecting diseases in crops etc. Despite their potential benefits, the majority of farmers are still unaware of this technology, and a significant number of them are hesitant to integrate it into their agricultural practices. This study focused on examining the level of awareness and adoption of agricultural drones among farmers in the Alappuzha district of Kerala. The study involved 120 farmers who participated in a survey. The data collected from the survey was analyzed to determine the extent of awareness and adoption of agricultural drones. The study also give preliminary understanding of relationship between demographic factors, such as age, education, and farm size on the awareness and adoption of drones and the main challenges and obstacles faced by farmers in adopting drone technology for agricultural-purposes. From the study it was found out that 70.83% of farmers were aware of agricultural drones and 22.5% are adopters. Lack of technical knowledge, non-availability of drones and unsynchronized farming practices are the major reasons for not adopting drones.