ALMATY – Kazakh scientists have developed a drone-based technology to automatically distribute beneficial insects across agricultural fields, potentially making biological crop protection faster and more effective, the Ministry of Agriculture reported on Sept.
2. Photo credit: The Ministry of Agriculture of Kazakhstan Researchers at the Zhiembayev Kazakh Research Institute of Plant Protection and Quarantine developed the BioDrop technology. The system combines biodegradable spherical BioDrop capsules, a specialized distribution device and an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).
The capsules contain entomophages – natural enemies of agricultural pests. Loaded onto a drone, the capsules are automatically distributed across a field according to a pre-set flight route. Once they reach the ground, the capsules gradually release the beneficial insects, which then seek out and destroy agricultural pests.
The spherical capsule design accommodates the dosing mechanism while preserving the viability of the biological material. Field trials showed higher biological effectiveness than traditional manual distribution of entomophages. On the 14th day after distribution, biological effectiveness under the conventional method averaged 70–73%.
With BioDrop, the figure reached 81–83%. This represents an average increase of 10–11% compared with manual distribution. The technology also reduces the time required to treat fields. Manual distribution in the test area took about 1–1.5 hours, while the same work with a drone took 10–15 minutes, including equipment preparation.
According to the researchers, the time savings could make biological crop protection more practical on large agricultural areas and in hard-to-reach locations. BioDrop has already been introduced and is being used by four agricultural enterprises, demonstrating its potential for practical application in crop protection.
The technology could subsequently be integrated into precision agriculture systems and used alongside phytosanitary monitoring technologies. Using entomophages is part of an environmentally oriented approach to plant protection, reducing reliance on conventional pest-control methods.
Automating their distribution could further expand biological crop protection by making it faster and more efficient. The researchers also see potential in combining BioDrop with digital agricultural technologies to improve the timing and precision of pest-control measures.