SIP3
UAV-Assisted Precision Agriculture for Colorado Potato Beetle Infestation Control
SIP Leader: EV ILVO
Sector: Arable/Potatoes
Country of the pilot: Belgium
Partners involved: EV ILVO (SIP Leader, ADS) / ISP (Farmers and Advisors)
Target group: Farmers and Advisors via cocreation
The Challenge: Combating Pesticide-Resistant Pests in Potato Farming
Potato farming in Belgium is facing increasing challenges due to the Colorado Potato Beetle, a highly destructive pest known for its rapid reproduction and resistance to chemical treatments. Farmers are struggling to maintain healthy crops while controlling infestations efficiently and sustainably. The primary challenges include:
- Widespread crop damage and yield loss caused by uncontrolled beetle populations, leading to financial strain on farmers.
- Increasing pesticide resistance, requiring higher doses of chemicals and repeated applications, raising operational costs and environmental concerns.
- Lack of precision in pest management, where broad-spectrum pesticide spraying results in unnecessary chemical applications over unaffected areas.
How the ADS Works
To address these issues, SIP3 introduces a UAV scouting system, providing real-time detection and targeted pest control solutions. This system revolutionizes pest management by combining high-resolution aerial imaging, artificial intelligence, and precision spraying strategies. As the UAV autonomously flies over potato fields, the system:
- Autonomous UAVs survey large potato fields, capturing high-resolution images of crops.
- Onboard visual detection models process imagery, identifying Colorado Potato Beetle infestations at different growth stages.
- Infestation maps are generated, pinpointing areas with active beetle populations.
- Prescription maps are created, guiding precision pesticide application only in affected areas.
- Farmers receive actionable insights, enabling targeted interventions while minimizing pesticide use.
This sensor-driven scouting approach reduces the need for manual field inspections, improves the accuracy of pest detection, and optimizes pesticide application efficiency.
ADS Models
This SIP explores two distinct UAV-based ADS models:OpenAgri OS Services
SIP3 is fully integrated with OpenAgri OS services to ensure seamless data analysis and farm management:
- Weather Data Service: Incorporates real-time and historical climate data to predict infestation risk levels.
- Pest Management Platform: Centralized database for logging, analyzing, and mapping pest outbreaks, enhancing strategic intervention planning.
- Digital Farm Calendar: Logs UAV scouting sessions, allowing farmers to track infestation patterns over time and adjust treatments accordingly.
Real-World Benefits & Impact
The UAV-powered ADS provides significant advantages to farmers and the agricultural sector by:
- Increasing scouting efficiency, allowing farmers to detect infestations three times faster than manual inspections.
- Enhancing farm profitability, as more efficient pest control results in higher yields and lower chemical costs.
- Supporting environmental sustainability, by significantly minimizing pesticide runoff and protecting beneficial insects.
- Reducing labor costs, as UAV-based scouting eliminates the need for frequent manual field inspections.
