The landscape of rural towns and rice paddies is heading toward a new future.

Instead of seeing farmers carrying spray canisters of herbicide on their backs, marching through the rice fields, people are now seeing drones more and more often as they swoop over the paddies, spraying herbicide over tomorrow's crops.

Guidelines and standards for agricultural drone inspections were established and announced on June 10 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs in order to further promote the agricultural use of drones.



An agricultural drone is an unmanned aerial vehicle that is equipped with a spray nozzle that can handle both liquids and solids so that it can be used for agricultural purposes such as spraying herbicides or fertilizers, or for sowing seeds. In accordance with the announced guidelines and standards, agricultural drones will fall under a range of structural and functional inspections, testing their operations in terms of spray emissions and even distribution. Basic capabilities, such as takeoff, landing and stopping in air, will be tested, as well.

Agricultural drones that pass inspection will be approved and supported by the ministry as government-supported agricultural machines. Farmers who want to purchase the drones will get a loan for up to 80% of the price.

Farmers across the nation have shown an interest in agricultural drones due to the machine's productivity, which reduces labor and time for pest control. This has been one reason why farmers continuously raise the necessity of establishing guidelines and standards for the machines. Agricultural drone inspections, with about six weeks of preparation, will start Aug. 1.

By Chang Iou-chung
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photos: Korea Drone Agricultural Cooperative
icchang@korea.kr