The fall armyworm, a crop-devouring pest, has spread from the Americas to Africa and Asia, gorging on rice, corn, vegetables, cotton and more.
Since arriving in China, it has advanced north, affecting 950,000 hectares of crops in 24 provinces as of mid-August, including parts of Hebei, Shaanxi and Shandong, according to an official report published late last month.
XAG, a Guangzhou-based drone maker, teamed up with Germany’s Bayer Crop Science in a drone swarm operation to kill the fall armyworm in China’s Guangxi region.
The autonomous devices were loaded with low-toxicity insecticide. They have also successfully managed the pests in a government-led operation in the southwest province of Yunnan, XAG said.
Since drones can be safely operate after sunset they were used at night and at a time when these pest are most active.
The company deployed an army of drones to fight the crop-devouring pest in southern area of China and has recorded a mortality rate of as high as 98%.
Reference- Bloomberg, XAG website