Flying not to take photos but to plant rice. This morning, on a four-and-a-half-hectare plot not far from the industrial port of Oristano, a huge agricultural drone, weighing 150 kilograms, went into action to plant the Bramante rice paddies.
This is a historic experiment for the province of Oristano , promoted by Coldiretti, which is part of an experimental program aimed at optimizing resources and increasing company efficiency through the use of latest-generation machinery.
A technological solution that local farmers could soon adopt. The drone took off from the land owned by the Ferrari rice farm, a member of Coldiretti Oristano, after the expert performed two important maneuvers: mapping the terrain, to allow the drone to determine where to sow, and inserting the seeds into the tank, which has a capacity of 110 liters.
For the rest, all the machinery provided by Furaito of Varese, a company specializing in drones for the agricultural sector, took care of it.
"The main advantages offered by the drone, which in the case of sowing works 5 meters above the ground with a range of 9 meters, are that it prevents soil compaction, meaning it avoids furrows within the field," explains technician Roberto Ferrarin , who operated the drone today. "Then there is the very rapid intervention speed. Another great advantage is that the farmer can intervene at any time with the drone, even when the fields are flooded. And let's not forget the savings . There is no more diesel, just the drone's recharging, which takes just 15 minutes. When the battery runs out, the drone returns to its starting point, as does when sowing is finished."