As autumn crops enter their peak period for pest outbreaks, the Agricultural Technology Extension Service Center in Fugu County has launched a full-scale aerial defense operation using drones. This modern approach is designed to crack the longstanding problem of crop protection in the region's rugged loess hills and gully terrain, ensuring a robust harvest.
At the corn planting base in Pinglundun Village, Huangfu Town, the smart crop protection operation is in full swing. Agricultural technicians are on-site mixing chemicals, filling tanks, and meticulously checking the drone frames, atomizing nozzles, and flight control systems to complete all pre-flight preparations. Once the flight command is given, the drones lift off smoothly, flying back and forth over the thriving cornfields. They discharge a fine, even mist that thoroughly coats the leaves, effectively curbing the large-scale spread of red spider mites.
"Given the sudden outbreak of red spider mites, we immediately headed to the fields to assess the situation and developed a standardized pesticide mixing plan. Each mu is treated with 30 milliliters of Abamectin and 60 milliliters of Avidaclofen to continuously suppress the pest population at its base," explained Zhao Gailing, an agronomist at the county's Agricultural Technology Extension Service Center.
Two large agricultural drones are being deployed simultaneously for this operation, with each unit covering 300 to 400 mu per day. This makes the process more than 40 times faster than traditional manual spraying. The ultra-low volume atomization method delivers the pesticide with greater precision and less waste, effectively solving the issues of tall, dense plants that make manual application difficult and leave pest control gaps during the corn's milky stage. Overall, the effectiveness of pest management has been greatly enhanced.
Local villager Li Yonghong is full of praise for the aerial operation: "The drone spraying has truly solved our farming difficulties. The pest control results are visible, and we've also learned many practical scientific planting methods from the technicians."
The county's farmland is mostly hilly and gully terrain with significant elevation changes. Every year from July to August, pests and diseases strike corn, millet, and sorghum simultaneously, and manual spraying often misses the critical 7 to 10 day prevention window. To address this regional weakness, the Agricultural Technology Extension Service Center has been actively promoting precise drone application technology. Compared to manual methods, drone spraying reduces pesticide use per mu by 25% to 33%. While lowering pesticide residue and reducing agricultural non-point source pollution, it maintains a stable overall control rate of 80% to 95% for major local pests and diseases, filling the gap where manual labor and large machinery cannot easily operate.
This year, the county plans to cover a total of 60,000 mu with aerial pest control. So far, 25,000 mu have been completed, with a farmer satisfaction rate of 95%. Sun Liting, deputy director of the county's Agricultural Technology Extension Service Center, stated that the next step is to keep a close watch on dynamic pest conditions in the fields, optimize precise control measures based on the trends of pest development, and thoroughly manage the full growth cycle of autumn crops to guarantee a stable and increased yield across the county.