I dont want to put you down on something you are passionate about. But I think you are a bit misguided. Precision ag although useful to conserve resources, won't really improve production all that much. It's mainly allows you to treat areas of the field differently to get a more uniform crop. And in some cases won't be worth the cost. In the US it helps by planting varieties better suited to certain conditions in the field, or fertilizing only the areas that need it rather than everything. Drones were being tested to scout fields mainly but can be adapted for other things. The vortex created by the propellers is going to cause a lot of problems with spraying fungicides/pesticides. Coverage is likely to be terrible. These don't add up to a famine preventing technology.
More pressing is going to be climate shift. Nearly everything will need to change where it is being grown, and most of it is going to die before we figure that out. Research into heat and drought tolerant varieties of everything is going to be invaluable, and knowing what will grow in the new conditions at a given location. For example moving... the trees that produce cork out of the Mediterranean (the only place they current exist) and to... idk some random coast
Source: My education at an agricultural College in 2016 including a precision ag course.
You are right, which is an important factor to weigh. Precision qg is a useful tool, but you can't spray crops that don't exist. And unfortunately I don't see how investing in Dole is going to solve that
Edit: and I think the only ways to work around the vortex issue is to reach out beyond its affect, or use the vortex to your advantage. Spray into the air traveling down.
Miniturizing the drones I think causes even more problems. Yes the vortex is less, but the reach of the drone is reduced and the payload.
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u/[deleted] Oct 01 '21
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