By Ntambo Mabuza

As in most aspects of 21 st century life, the question of whether to use technology in farming is becoming increasingly irrelevant. From patent seeds to smart tractors, the world of Sci-Fi movies has long landed on farmlands. One of the technologies that many farmers are increasingly considering is the possibility of adding drones to their toolkits. Directly or indirectly, the decision often pits the relative competitive advantages between the drone and the trusted tractor, or even light aircraft, in the core tasks of such as spreading fertilizer and spraying pesticides.

Recently, one of South Africa’s pioneering precision agricultural systems companies,
called PACSys, made a highly educational sales pitch at a farmer’s gathering, yes,
held on Zoom!

Founded in 2016 by Tim Wise, a fourth-generation sugarcane farmer from KwaZulu-
Natal’s North Coast, PACSys was the first company to introduce heavy-duty
agricultural drones to South Africa. Wise, along with a group of local sugarcane
farmers, travelled to China in search of technology to tackle their farming challenges. Their journey led them to DJI Technology, based in Shenzhen’s special economic zone, where they found innovative solutions to transform their operations.

Eight years on, PACSys is now the authorised dealer for DJI T50 drones in South Africa. They were also the first to introduce an agricultural drone in Africa and the first to obtain a commercial and agricultural drone licence from the South African Civil Aviation Authority, says Jeandre de Beer.

Thanks to its partnership with Chinese manufacturer DJI Technology, PACSys has
been promoting the use of drones in agriculture. They began by working with
sugarcane farmers in KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga.

De Beers explains that among the peculiar challenges faced by sugarcane farmers
in KZN is the combination of the rugged terrain in which they farm and the need to
curtail the high cost of inputs such as fertilizers and a special chemical that speeds
up the maturity and the sweetness of the crop.

In the challenging conditions of sugarcane farming areas, commercial farmers often rely on expensive aircraft spraying, which is prone to chemical wastage due to wind drift. The other common methods—tractor-driven boom sprays and labour-intensive manual spraying—also have significant cost and efficiency drawbacks. However, farmers have had little choice but to use these methods due to a lack of alternatives.

Since importing South Africa’s first agricultural drone, the DJI Agras T-40, in 2017, PACSys has worked with pioneering sugarcane farmers to test its effectiveness. The results have been promising, showing how drone technology can help address long- standing farming challenges in KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga. Using before-and- after images, De Beer highlights the impressive impact of drone spraying and shares key performance data on the latest model, the Agras T50, which offers advanced features such as:
 It can carry a spray load of 40 kg and a spread load of 50 kg (70 L), capable
for pumping 16 litres per minute and 24 litres per minute when an extra nozzle is attached.
 With the improved and larger spreading tank, the drone can spread 450 kg of
fertilizer per hectare and can cover between 15 and 20 hectares per hour.
 Safety features include a larger radar for detecting and avoiding obstacles quicker.
 The drone’s battery takes nine minutes to charge and can go for up to 2 000 hectares.

Since their first trip to China, PACSys has established itself as a leader in smart agriculture. Beyond sugarcane, the company has expanded into grains and other crops, building a strong sales, support, and training network. To date, they have sold around 1,000 drones, with after-sales support available in KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, and the Free State, along with technical assistance in other regions.

The Agras T50 drone costs around R200 000, similar to a small entry-level tractor.
However, it is far more affordable than self-propelled boom sprayers, which range
from R1 million to R3 million.

One concern when comparing drones to self-propelled boom sprayers is scale,
which is crucial for commercial maize farmers. A high-quality boom sprayer, whether
self-propelled or tractor-driven, can cover 40 to 45 hectares per hour. In contrast, a
single Agras T50 drone covers 15 hectares per hour, making traditional equipment
seem more efficient at first glance.

PACSys argues that comparing a single drone to a large boom sprayer is unfair.
They highlight that using multiple drones can cover the same area if not more at a fraction of the cost. Additionally, an Agras T50 drone is about 95% cheaper than a self-propelled tractor sprayer.

While it’s fun to imagine smart tech drones going head-to-head with powerful boom tractors (which can be just as clever), the decisions around embracing new
technology are serious. The maths behind it all can be overwhelming, but ultimately,
choices need to be made as the hum of advanced tech fills the air over our farmlands. These decisions shouldn’t just be about cost savings and efficiency; they
must also consider the practical needs and suitability for each farm’s unique operations.