Apple growing is the dominant industry in Yan'an agriculture, with a planting area of ​​approximately 3.3 million mu, becoming the main means for farmers to increase income and become prosperous. However, in Yan'an, hilly mountainous terrain predominates, with most orchards arranged in terraced fields. Plant protection is not only the most critical but also the most labor-intensive aspect of apple production management. While drones are widely used in flat farmland for the prevention and control of pests and diseases in grain crops, it is rarely used in apple orchards. "It is simply impossible for drones to protect orchards," has been the reason why most agricultural machinery cooperatives and orchard managers do not choose drones for plant protection. It is widely believed that "most pests reside on the back of apple leaves, and it is difficult for drones to spray pesticides onto the undersides of apple leaves from above, resulting in poor pest control efficacy."

May 15th, Apple Orchard Drone Plant Protection in Zhidan County, Yan'an

To address this difficulty, the Shaanxi Agricultural Machinery Technology System, Yan'an Agricultural Machinery Technology Extension Service Center, and Yichuan County Agricultural Machinery Technology Extension Service Center organized drone companies and national experts in pest control to focus on the Yan'an base of the provincial agricultural machinery technology system - Yichuan County Baifeng Agricultural Machinery Farmers Professional Cooperative, conducting field research and demonstration in terraced mountain orchards.

Researchers conducted a large number of experimental works by adjusting drone types, flight altitudes, flight speeds, nozzle types, target volume, and plant protection spray additives in different seasons, overcoming the industry's difficulties in Yan'an mountain orchard drone plant protection. A mature set of standardized technical specifications for drone plant protection operations in mountain orchards has gradually formed. It has been proven that drones can also effectively protect fruit trees and perform plant protection work well.

July 1st, Apple Orchard Drone Plant Protection in Nangou Base, Yan'an City

July 14th, Mountain Orange Orchard Drone Plant Protection in Chenggu County, Hanzhong City

July 17th, Apple Orchard Drone Plant Protection in Dukang Town, Weinan City

Currently, Yichuan County Baifeng Agricultural Machinery Farmers Professional Cooperative, has successfully promoted and applied drone orchard protection technology in more than 20 orchards in Yan'an, Weinan, Hanzhong, and other places. Eavision's drones will continue to assist in the standardization and development of drone plant protection technology in standardized mountain orchards in Shaanxi Province, guiding the modernization and digitalization of fruit tree fields in Shaanxi, reducing the burden of plant protection for growers, improving operation efficiency, and enhancing fruit tree output quality.