Imsil-gun Completes '1st Aerial Pest Control for Rice'

[Imsil=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Park Nosik] Imsil-gun, Jeonbuk (Governor Shim Min) announced on the 20th that it recently completed the ‘1st aerial rice pest and disease control’ using drones and helicopters over a total area of 2,510 hectares in Osu, Samgye, Sinpyeong, and Deokchi areas.

The unmanned aerial vehicles deployed for the control included 32 drones and 9 unmanned helicopters, with drones covering 1,757 hectares, which is 70% of the treatment area, and unmanned helicopters covering 753 hectares, or 30%.

The treatment times were from 5:30 AM to 10:00 AM and from 4:00 PM until before sunset to increase the amount of pesticide attachment with minimal wind and to minimize damage caused by high temperatures.

The target pests and diseases for control were fungal diseases such as rice blast and rice bacterial leaf streak, which frequently occur before and after the rainy season, and major rice pests including the rice ear-cutting caterpillar, rice leaf folder, and planthoppers, which caused significant damage last year.

This first treatment was conducted alongside general pest control, where farmers who could not apply for aerial treatment due to PLS (Positive List System for Pesticide Residues) and early-maturing rice cultivation received pesticides and performed self-treatment.

General pest control was also carried out more smoothly through active coordination with the drone treatment team after the aerial treatment was completed.

In particular, this treatment was conducted about 15 days earlier than last year in response to changes in pest and disease occurrence patterns caused by recent abnormal weather, receiving favorable reviews from farmers.

The second joint unmanned aerial treatment is scheduled to take place over five days starting from the 2nd of next month and is planned to be completed by the 10th.

The county first introduced aerial pest control for rice farming in 2015 to address the aging rural population and labor shortages.

As a pledge project of the 7th local government administration, it was expanded to all towns and townships in 2019, and this year marks the third year of aerial pest control across all towns and townships. The total project cost is 874 million KRW, with 40% of the treatment cost covered by the county, 20% by local agricultural cooperatives, and farmers only need to bear 40%.

The treatment cost per hectare is 177,900 KRW for the first treatment and 172,500 KRW for the second, allowing two treatments per hectare for about 140,000 KRW.

This year’s treatment area is 2,510 hectares for the first treatment and 2,476 hectares for the second, with the drone treatment ratio expanded from about 40% last year to 70% this year.

Governor Shim Min said, “Last year’s long rainy season made pest control difficult, but this year, by advancing the treatment period and with favorable weather during the treatment period, we expect good pest control effects.”

He added, “I hope that the aerial pest control project, which is being actively promoted, will reduce the farming burden on the elderly and greatly contribute to increasing farmers’ income.”

Imsil=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Park Nosik sd2481@asiae.co.kr