A crop can start losing health before farmers notice visible changes in the field. Drones equipped with cameras and sensors can capture images across large areas and identify differences in crop growth, colour and vegetation. ICAR is now using drones as part of its national precision agriculture programme.
The technology can help farmers inspect fields more quickly and identify areas that need attention. Instead of treating an entire field in the same way, farmers can use crop maps to locate stressed areas and investigate possible causes such as water shortage, nutrient problems, pests or disease.
A basic agricultural drone can capture high-resolution photographs from above. More advanced drones carry multispectral sensors that record light beyond what the human eye can see. These measurements can be processed into vegetation maps showing differences in crop condition across a field.
One commonly used measure is the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index, or NDVI. It uses differences in reflected light to assess vegetation condition. A drone can collect thousands of images and software can combine them into a field map that highlights areas requiring closer inspection.
ICAR says its Network Program on Precision Agriculture uses ground, drone and satellite-based remote sensing for monitoring crop and soil health. The programme brings together 16 ICAR research institutes working on precision agriculture and related technologies.
What can farmers learn from these images?
Drone images can show uneven crop growth that may be difficult to identify while walking through a large field. A farmer can compare different parts of the field and identify patches where plants appear weaker or develop differently from surrounding crops.
Researchers also use drone data to assess pest and disease damage. ICAR has demonstrated drone-based crop monitoring for pest detection, disease assessment and field surveillance. Such information can help farmers or agricultural experts decide where further field inspection or treatment may be required.
Water stress is another possible application. Changes in vegetation and canopy condition can indicate areas that may need investigation for irrigation problems. ICAR says precision agriculture programmes are developing tools for crop monitoring and water-stress assessment using sensors, remote sensing and artificial intelligence.
Drone monitoring can reveal changes that are difficult to notice from ground level, but it does not automatically identify the exact cause. A stressed patch could result from insufficient water, nutrient deficiency, disease, pests, soil variation or another field condition.
Farmers therefore need field verification after identifying an unusual area. Drone imagery works best as an early detection and mapping tool rather than a replacement for agricultural experts, soil testing or direct crop inspection.
After the flight, images are processed using specialised software. The system can create maps showing crop coverage, vegetation indices or other measurements. These maps can help identify locations that need further investigation or targeted farm operations.
A 2026 Indian paddy dataset used RGB and multispectral drone imagery across crop growth stages. Researchers generated orthomosaic and vegetation-index maps from thousands of images, showing how drone data can support crop monitoring and research in Indian farming conditions.
Do farmers need to buy a drone?
No. Buying a drone is not the only way to use the technology. Farmers can access drone services through Custom Hiring Centres, Farmer Producer Organisations, rural entrepreneurs and other service providers.
Government support has also been provided for establishing drone services. Under earlier agricultural mechanisation support, Custom Hiring Centres operated by eligible groups and rural entrepreneurs could receive financial assistance for purchasing drones.
For a small farmer, hiring a drone for a specific field survey can make more sense than purchasing the equipment. The farmer pays for the service while avoiding the costs of the drone, batteries, maintenance, software and pilot training.
ICAR has expanded drone demonstrations and training through its research institutes and Krishi Vigyan Kendras. In August 2026, the government said ICAR had conducted drone demonstrations across 230 hectares, benefiting 2,487 farmers.
The same government update said ICAR is using drones for crop monitoring, precision input application and crop-health assessment. It also highlighted remote sensing, satellite imagery and AI-based systems as parts of its wider precision agriculture programme.
Drone-based crop maps can help identify areas requiring closer attention instead of assuming every part of a field has the same problem. This approach can support more targeted decisions about irrigation, nutrients or crop protection.
The actual reduction in inputs depends on the crop, technology, accuracy of the analysis and the farmer’s management practices. A drone photograph alone does not automatically reduce fertiliser, pesticide or water use.
What are the limitations?
The technology requires trained operators, suitable equipment and software for processing the images. Weather can also affect drone flights and image quality. Farmers may need expert support to interpret maps rather than relying on colour differences alone.
ICAR research identifies cost, technical training and infrastructure as barriers to wider adoption of digital technologies, including drones. These challenges are especially relevant for small farmers who may not use the equipment frequently.
Farmers should first ask what the drone survey will measure. A simple RGB survey and a multispectral crop-health survey provide different information. The farmer should also ask whether the service provider will supply a usable field map or only photographs.
The timing of the survey also matters. Farmers should explain the crop, growth stage and problem they want to investigate. This allows the operator to select suitable sensors, flight parameters and analysis methods.
It can be, especially when several farmers share a service. A drone can cover a large area quickly, while the cost of a single survey can be divided among farmers through an FPO, cooperative or service centre.
The technology becomes more useful when farmers have a clear question to answer. Checking crop stress, mapping uneven growth or assessing damage after a weather event can provide a specific purpose for the survey.
What should farmers remember?
Drones are not a replacement for farmers’ field knowledge. They provide another source of information that can help locate problems, measure crop differences and guide closer inspection.
ICAR’s current precision agriculture programme shows that drone-based monitoring is moving beyond demonstrations into wider crop and resource assessment. For farmers, the practical option may be to hire the service when a specific field problem justifies the cost.
Before paying for a drone survey, farmers should ask what information they will receive, how it will be interpreted and what action they can take from the results. A useful drone survey should help answer a farm question, not simply produce attractive aerial images.
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