‘Drone Farmer’ Emerges... Busan Agricultural Technology Center Youth Farmers' Drone Farming Team Begins Emergency Pest Control

Starting Prevention of Sudden Corn Pest Outbreak by Controlling Tropical Gypsy Moth on the 25th

Rice Disease and Pest Control, Greenhouse Shading Agent Application, Leading Drone Agriculture Hub

A young farmer drone farming group using drones for pest and disease control work.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Kim Yong-woo] This year again, the control of pests and diseases in the fields will be handled by the ‘Drone Farmers’.

Busan City (Mayor Park Hyung-jun) Agricultural Technology Center announced on the 22nd that due to frequent spring rains and recent consecutive monsoon rains, damage from pests and diseases to crops is expected, and the ‘Busan Young Farmers Drone Farming Group’ will carry out pest control work targeting corn farmers who are struggling with pest control.

The ‘Busan Young Farmers Drone Farming Group,’ launched last year, is an organization fostered by the Agricultural Technology Center to promote drone agriculture.

They spread technologies using drones in rice farming such as pest control and liquid silica fertilization, and are a ‘Drone Dream Team’ that tries new drone technologies on various crops including greenhouse shading agent application and pest control for field crops.

They participate in the joint rice pest control project promoted in Gangseo-gu, Busan, and nearby Gimhae City to minimize damage, and also engage in pest control work in Gijang-gun, playing a significant role in solving the shortage of rural labor.

They plan to continuously serve the local community, not only in farming but also by participating in river disinfection in the future.

On the 25th, to proactively respond to the ‘tropical armyworm,’ which causes significant damage to corn, pest control work will be conducted targeting 88 plots covering 5.5 hectares of corn farms in Sanyang Village, Noksan-dong, Gangseo-gu.

Kim Jung-guk, Director of Busan City Agricultural Technology Center, said, “Drone utilization technology in the rice cultivation process, including fertilization and pest control, is continuously developing, and by expanding this to field crops cultivating various crops, we expect a significant reduction in labor for farmers.”