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: Rumi Narzari, Burhan U. Choudhury, Gaurav Singhal, Karun K. Choudhary
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Springer 2025-04-01
Series:Discover Soil
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1007/s44378-025-00055-2
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author Rumi Narzari
Burhan U. Choudhury
Gaurav Singhal
Karun K. Choudhary
author_facet Rumi Narzari
Burhan U. Choudhury
Gaurav Singhal
Karun K. Choudhary
author_sort Rumi Narzari
collection DOAJ
description 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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spelling doaj-art-2b98e22cd9ca4841b41876953ef542102025-08-20T03:14:05ZengSpringerDiscover Soil3005-12232025-04-012112610.1007/s44378-025-00055-2A critical review of how UAVs can transform precision agriculture in the realm of AgroecologyRumi Narzari0Burhan U. Choudhury1Gaurav Singhal2Karun K. Choudhary3ICAR Research Complex for NEH RegionICAR Research Complex for NEH RegionAcademy of Scientific and Innovative ResearchNational Remote Sensing Centre, Indian Space Research OrganizationAbstract 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.https://doi.org/10.1007/s44378-025-00055-2AgroecologyPrecision agricultureRemote sensingUnmanned aerial vehicleSensors
spellingShingle Rumi Narzari
Burhan U. Choudhury
Gaurav Singhal
Karun K. Choudhary
A critical review of how UAVs can transform precision agriculture in the realm of Agroecology
Discover Soil
Agroecology
Precision agriculture
Remote sensing
Unmanned aerial vehicle
Sensors
title A critical review of how UAVs can transform precision agriculture in the realm of Agroecology
title_full A critical review of how UAVs can transform precision agriculture in the realm of Agroecology
title_fullStr A critical review of how UAVs can transform precision agriculture in the realm of Agroecology
title_full_unstemmed A critical review of how UAVs can transform precision agriculture in the realm of Agroecology
title_short A critical review of how UAVs can transform precision agriculture in the realm of Agroecology
title_sort critical review of how uavs can transform precision agriculture in the realm of agroecology
topic Agroecology
Precision agriculture
Remote sensing
Unmanned aerial vehicle
Sensors
url https://doi.org/10.1007/s44378-025-00055-2
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