At 11 am on 19th October, a drone equipped with rapeseeds for crop-spraying took off from Xiadahu Farm, which is the base of Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences. Doctoral students from the rapeseed mechanisation team from the College of Engineering at Huazhong Agricultural University showcased the application of a newly developed precision seeding drone specifically designed for rapeseed planting. This marks the first instance in Ezhou where a drone has been utilised for the cultivation of rapeseed crops.
Since 2018, Professor Huang Xiaomao's team from the College of Engineering at Huazhong Agricultural University has been working in collaboration with Hubei Dinaer Technology Co., Ltd. to research and develop precision seeding with drone technology. The aim of this collaboration is to minimise seed consumption and reduce management costs in the later stages.
The precision seeding technology employed by the drone offers several advantages for rapeseed cultivation. It enables precise positioning and uniform sowing, eliminating the risk of human errors commonly associated with traditional sowing methods. This technology addresses issues such as excessive seed usage, high field management costs, and irregular crop emergence, thereby enhancing the overall efficiency of rapeseed farming.
Zhu Yaozong, a doctoral student from Professor Huang Xiaomao's team, stated that the drone-based seeding technology has increased the seeding precision, and the seedlings in the field grow uniformly and in an orderly manner as a result, leading to improved field conditions such as sunlight, light, and ventilation, which is a significant improvement compared to the random sowing of seeds.