El Niño rains are opening an opportunity for agricultural drones, whose treated area grew from 50,000 to more than 2 million hectares in two years. Specialists at Bidcom Agro warn that flying does not amount to applying well.
Climate projections agree that the country's north-central region, where the bulk of agricultural production is concentrated, will be the epicenter of the abundant rains associated with El Niño over the coming months, as the phenomenon intensifies toward the final stretch of the year. That water availability improves yield estimates, but raises questions about working with machinery and the time windows to do so: conditions that appear favorable for the use of agricultural drones, both for spraying and for broadcast seeding in areas where ground access is difficult.
Adoption of this technology has been growing at an exponential rate. The number of hectares treated with drones rose from 50,000 to more than 2 million in two years and, from 2023 to date, the aircraft in operation are estimated to have multiplied by 30: from some 100 units to around 3,000.
In a big crop season with few rain-free windows, the industry anticipates problems with ground conditions in the field. Without firm footing, a ground sprayer likely cannot get in on time or operate without the risk of leaving ruts or compacting the soil. That is where drones show what they can do — not to replace conventional machinery, but as a complement at the moment of need. “If I can't get in and I don't spray, the weeds keep growing. A mature weed is far more resistant and tolerant than a young one. That's why getting in and spraying at the right moment also represents savings, since it directly affects the efficacy of control and the efficiency of the application,” said agronomist Matías Fernández Koller, head of Research and Development at Bidcom Agro.
However, Bidcom Agro — the official representative of DJI Agras in the country — warns that “being able to get into the field does not by itself guarantee a good application.” The drone works with mixes that differ from ground applications — more concentrated and with fewer liters — and at different distances: instead of working one meter from the ground, it works at three or four meters.
For Fernández Koller, flying the equipment is the relatively simple part: “That is relatively simple because it is an autonomous robot. You tell it which field it is, generate the flight plan, and it takes off and comes back on its own. What matters is getting trained on the application parameters and understanding how to use it correctly.” He added: “Application quality with a drone is more challenging.”
The company insists on that comprehensive view: “To work efficiently you have to plan for water supply, mixing and agitation of the spray solution, battery charging and logistics. The drone must be thought of as part of an application system.” To that end they offer their own training cycle, known as “DJI Academy.” In a fast-growing sector, drone sales are now split in similar proportions between producers and contractors, for different scales and uses.
