BERLIN, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- The widespread use of drone technology in German agriculture is indicative of the sector's pioneering role in adapting to digitalization, a joint study published on Monday by the German Farmer's Federation (DBV) and the German Information Technology Association (Bitkom) found.
According to the study, nearly every tenth farmers (nine percent) already make use of drones during their work.
"In no other industry are drones being used with a similar intensity as agriculture," a statement by Bitkom executive director Bernhard Rohleder read. He added that farmers had hence demonstrated once again that they were amongst the "pioneers of digitalization."
The survey, based on a representative survey of 420 agricultural executives, found that drones were most commonly used to protect wild game from farming machinery and other agriculture-related threats (33 percent), followed by deployments for aerial measurements of the condition of soils and plants (32 percent), efforts to protect plant stock and distribute beneficial insects (31 percent) and map yields (22 percent).
"High-Tech enables working more sustainably because animal welfare is enhanced and fields are worked in fashion which is more environmentally friendly and plant-appropriate," DBV secretary general Bernhard Kruesken explained.
He expressed confidence that the use of digital technologies would consequently help improve the public acceptance of modern agriculture.
Larger farming operations with more than 100 hectares of land at their disposal were most likely to rely on drone technology. Out of the respondents who used drones, just under half used their own unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), while a slightly higher share gained access to the technology through external contractors, according to the study.
