Evaluation of the DJI Agras T40 UAV for application of herbicides in soybean
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[EMBARGOED UNTIL 05/01/2026] The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) show promise as a potential new method of herbicide application, however relatively few studies have been conducted to determine the effects of various UAV application parameters on spray quality and weed control. Three field experiments were conducted in soybean fields in 2023 and 2024 to: 1) evaluate weed control, spray coverage and uniformity, and off-target movement from a UAV compared to ground-based sprayers, 2) evaluate effects of application speed, spray height, and spray volume on spray coverage with a UAV, and 3) compare the spray deposition of a UAV to a ground-based sprayer. In the first experiment, post-emergence herbicide applications were made with a DJI Agras T40 UAV equipped with atomization nozzles at 28 liters per hectare (L/ha) or with ground-based sprayers at 140 or 187 L/ha. Spray coverage was more than twice as high and off-target movement was less proportionally with the ground-based sprayer. Spray droplet diameters from the UAV were also substantially smaller than those from the ground-based sprayer. The ground-based sprayers also demonstrated more uniform weed control. In the second experiment, a variety of different UAV spray application parameters were assessed for their effects on spray coverage and waterhemp control following applications of glufosinate. Coverage in the center of the swath was improved at an application speed of 3.5 m/s compared to 7 m/s while increasing the height of application above the soybean canopy from 3 to 4.5 m resulted in lower waterhemp control. In the third experiment the UAV demonstrated similar levels of canopy penetration as the ground-based sprayer and different application parameters for the UAV showed little effect on canopy penetration. Results from this research indicate that under certain conditions and parameters, similar levels of waterhemp control can be achieved with herbicide applications from the DJI Agras T40 UAV
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M.S.