Agrochem industry seeks extension of time for spraying pesticides through drones

The agrochemicals industry has requested the Government to increase the time of provisional approval for at least one more year as the Centre has permitted application of 477 registered pesticides for commercial use through drones for two years.

This was informed by select representatives of the agrochemical industry at a stakeholders meeting held by the Agriculture Ministry recently, sources said. The industry has said 1.50 lakh acres of land area has been covered by agrochemical companies for spraying pesticides through drones.

The government has appealed to the manufacturers to use drones for the precision application of pesticides as it is an opportunity for them to improve the brand image of the agrochemical industry, considering that drones can be used for precision. A narrative of overuse of agrochemicals and spurious use in Indian agriculture could be corrected, the sources said.

Current usage

Some representatives said the efficacy in manual and drone spraying is same. But they agreed that usage of both pesticides and water is less when applied through drones.

Currently, drones are being used for spraying on black gram, pigeon pea, soybean, sugarcane and chilies, by the industry initiatives.

The government officials highlighted that as one drone can cover 25-30 acres per day, which is more than the manual spraying, its use will be beneficial also for farmers. But industry officials said that as for spraying on crops an operator has to travel to the fields which may be two kilometers a from his home, states may be advised to help in aggregation of clusters.