Pulverização localizada de herbicidas através de imageamento com drones

Abstract

This thesis brings together three complementary studies that address the use of agricultural drones in localized spraying, evaluating their impact on application efficiency, input savings, and effects on soybean crops. The advancement of digital technologies in agriculture has enabled greater precision and sustainability in management practices, especially in the use of herbicides and biostimulants. The first article analyzed localized herbicide spraying with drones, comparing it to conventional spraying. The results showed that the use of drones significantly reduced the volume of herbicide applied without compromising weed control efficacy, while also decreasing drift losses and product waste. The second article evaluated the efficiency of drone spraying in soybean crops. The technology provided good foliar coverage, with adequate product deposition and no significant differences in final yield compared to conventional methods, reinforcing the potential of drones as a complementary management tool. The third article investigated the localized application of a biostimulant combined with glyphosate. The results indicated that the technology enhanced the utilization of the biostimulant, promoting improvements in the initial development of soybean plants, in addition to reducing input losses. Thus, this work demonstrates that localized spraying with drones can contribute to efficient and sustainable agriculture by reducing the use of pesticides, optimizing product deposition, and maintaining the productive performance of soybean crops. This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - Brasil (CAPES) - Finance Code 001.