Page 25 - FoodFocusThailand No.233 August 2025

SPECIAL FOCUS

in Fukushima, thereby reducing both Integration of Technological Innovations to Drones
labor requirements and chemical To fully leverage cutting-edge knowledge and achieve targeted objectives, drones
usage . are most effective when used in conjunction with the following supplementary
5
In India, the government’s “Namo technologies:
Drone Didi” project and its sub- 1. Multispectral or hyperspectral imaging can detect plant stress, contagious
initiative, “Drone Didi,” are empowering plant diseases, foreign object contamination, and microbial pathogens by analyzing
rural female farmers by educating light reflectance.
them on biotechnologies and training 2. Artificial intelligence (AI), including convolutional neural networks (CNN)
them to operate agricultural drones for and edge computing, can analyze captured images and connect to IoT or 5G
spraying biological agents on crops networks via platforms such as PATS. This enables real-time data processing
and analyzing soil. A study by the and command delivery.
Indian Institute of Technology, Mandi, 3. Lab-on-chip devices and Nanoreagents can detect biological pathogens,
demonstrated that AI-embedded such as Listeria, on leafy greens using samples collected by drones.
drones could detect anthracnose 4. Sonic manipulation and biocontrol—such as speaker-integrated drones
fungus on cashew trees with up to for bird repelling or drones equipped with UAV-IQ technology that release beneficial
95% accuracy. Additionally, drones insects to naturally control pests—can reduce the use of chemical pesticides.
equipped with multispectral cameras Drone technology is increasingly becoming an “Intelligent Assistant” in the
were able to analyze rice plant stress global food system. Its applications range from detecting microbial contamination
in Kerala’s paddy fields. 6 in green vegetables in the USA using nanoreagents, and insect entrapment
In Vietnam, drones are used to in the Netherlands via PATS, to speaker-integrated bird-repelling drones and
spray fertilizers and pesticides on spraying drones in Thailand. This innovation not only helps reduce costs and labor
durian and coffee plantations. This dependency but also enhances food safety standards and promotes sustainability
has reduced labor requirements by in food production. If Thailand can successfully overcome regulatory and
70% and significantly increased crop manufacturing cost hurdles, accelerate AI development and related technologies,
yields. 7 and more strongly promote integrated, interdisciplinary research and development
Thailand is experiencing a growing efforts, smart drones will soon become a cornerstone of food production with high
trend in the use of drones for plant safety standards.
health analysis, image analysis using
multispectral and thermal imaging,
and precise chemical spraying on More Information Service Info C001
rice fields, durian plantations, and
other crops 8,9,10,11 . Drone usage also
extends to natural resource surveys
and food delivery, though these
remain experimental rather than
widely adopted applications. Drones
also show promise for enhancing
food safety assurance, particularly
in large factories. They could be
deployed for hygiene inspections in
high or hard-to-reach areas, inventory
checks, and indoor logistics. However,
long-distance drone operation
without visual contact remains
limited by existing regulations, as
clear legal frameworks governing
unmanned aerial vehicles have yet
to be established by the relevant
government agencies.
Currently, drones in Thailand are not
widely used for practical food safety and
quality assurance. However, studies
are exploring the use of hyperspectral
imaging and machine learning to
detect chemical residues such as
organophosphates and carbamates in
crops. If this technological integration
proves successful, it could enable
the detection of chemical residues
directly in plantations and significantly
enhance food safety control at the
upstream stage of the supply chain.

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