UAV-based Smart Agriculture: a Review of UAV Sensing and Applications

One of the main problems in agriculture is the lack of timely, accurate data. Farmers require real-time farm management that can reduce production costs while increasing production per unit area. Precision agriculture could be very helpful for farmers in many ways. One of the latest precision agriculture tools is unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). UAVs are used for a variety of purposes, including imaging, monitoring biotic and abiotic stresses, foliar spraying, pollination, livestock management, monitoring natural resources, and more. At a low cost, farmers can get the same results as with expensive treatments. The vast amounts of data collected by UAVs equipped with the on-board sensors can help improve agricultural production by providing accurate information about the fields and environment. This paper provides an overview of how agricultural production can be improved through the use of UAVs, including the various on-board sensors in use and their application areas in smart farming. Discussions on challenges and portunities in UAV-based smart farming that will guide subsequent research are provided.