A critical review of how UAVs can transform precision agriculture in the realm of Agroecology
Abstract The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) encompass 17 global goals aimed at fostering a more sustainable and equitable world by addressing socio-economic and environmental challenges, including agriculture. Achieving these goals necessitates the adoption of agro-ecological principles, parti...
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Springer
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Discover Soil |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1007/s44378-025-00055-2 |
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| Summary: | Abstract The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) encompass 17 global goals aimed at fostering a more sustainable and equitable world by addressing socio-economic and environmental challenges, including agriculture. Achieving these goals necessitates the adoption of agro-ecological principles, particularly in sustainable land use and food production, to enhance productivity while reducing reliance on external resources like fertilizers and pesticides. Precision technologies, such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), play a crucial role in this transformation by enabling site-specific and energy-efficient practices. The integration of UAVs in Precision Agriculture (PA) aligned with agro-ecological principles is pivotal to achieving several SDGs, particularly SDG1, SDG2, SDG3, SDG12, SDG13, and SDG15. UAVs provide real-time, non-destructive, and spatial data on soil nutrients, crop conditions, and yields, thereby improving resource efficiency. However, concerns about environmental impact, technological skill, e-waste, wildlife conflicts, data security, economic disparities, and the lack of standardized protocols pose significant challenges, particularly for small-scale farmers. These challenges are further complicated by potential conflicts with SDGs, such as SDG3, SDG9, SDG10, and SDG12 to SDG16. Although future advancements hold great potential, policymakers must address the issues of small-scale farmers, such as ease of use, cost involvement, and standard regulatory guidelines. This article critically examines the role of UAVs in PA within the agro-ecological framework, exploring their potential to align with the United Nations’ SDGs while addressing the challenges faced by small scale farmers. |
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| ISSN: | 3005-1223 |