Unmanned aerial vehicles for agriculture are being tested in the Nizhny Novgorod region as part of an experimental legal regime.

      Photo: Alexander But

      In the Nizhny Novgorod region, testing of various scenarios for using unmanned aerial systems in agriculture has begun within the framework of the experimental legal regime (ELR). The pilot project is implemented by the ELR operator — Gorky Tech Autonomous Non-Profit Organization, the Scientific and Production Center for Unmanned Aerial Systems (SPC UAS) of the Nizhny Novgorod region in collaboration with LLC BAS and the agricultural enterprise LLC Barmino, with the support of the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Entrepreneurship of the Nizhny Novgorod region. Work on developing UAS in the region is conducted as part of the national project "Unmanned Aerial Systems," initiated by the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin. All flights are carried out along agreed routes in compliance with safety requirements.

      "The unmanned technology industry is relatively young, and for its development, it is necessary to understand potential markets and demand. To form an objective picture of technical capabilities and economic indicators, work is underway in the region to test UAS in various sectors where their use may be most interesting. Pilot transportation of biological materials between medical facilities has already been completed, testing of aerocouriers for delivering consumer goods is ongoing, as well as in the agro-industrial complex," noted Deputy Governor of the Nizhny Novgorod region Andrey Sanosyan.

      During the implementation of the project, modern methods of monitoring agricultural land are used, including calculating the NDVI index to assess soil and vegetation conditions, digital mapping of fields with high accuracy of 1-5 cm, and high-precision fertilizer application on areas up to one thousand hectares.

      "After all planned flights are completed, we will obtain specific data on the economic efficiency of using unmanned technologies in agriculture. The goal is to compare the cost of works using drones with traditional agricultural technologies. The results of this analysis can serve as a reference for agricultural industry representatives in the region when optimizing their activities," explained Román Renzin, Director of Gorky Tech ANO.

      Alexey Varyatchenko, General Director of LLC BAS, shared that multispectral imaging of agricultural land by LLC Barmino for calculating the vegetation index was conducted for the first time.

      "We also carried out work on applying plant protection products using high-tech agrodrones, including spot application of chemical fertilizers. This provides undeniable advantages in increasing the enterprise's efficiency and timely management decisions," he added.

      The project pays special attention to the environmental aspect — precise farming technologies significantly reduce the use of chemicals, minimizing environmental impact. The obtained data will be integrated into the domestic geoinformation system "GeoMir," which will enable the creation of a digital model of agricultural land for further analysis and planning.

      "Currently, the priority task for agriculture is to increase efficiency, yield per hectare, and implement smart cost control. All this is happening against the background of a severe personnel shortage! The use of UAVs helps reduce errors in implementing crop production programs and improve the quality of cultivated feeds," commented Igor Sogin, owner of LLC Barmino.