Agriculture Drone-A Boon Technology for Foliar Nutrition to Enhance Productivity of Blackgram (Vigna mungo)

Background: The current study aimed to evaluate the effect of foliar nutrition of TNAU pulse wonder and polyfeed using an agricultural drone in comparsion with hand spray on black gram growth and yield efficiency. Methods: The field experiment conducted during the summer of 2023 at the VOC Agricultural College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Killikulam. A randomized block design of eight treatments and three replications was used to set up the experiment. The treatments included drone spray with two different concentration of TNAU pulse wonder and Poly feed individually at the rate of 1.0% and 2.0%). Similarly manual spraying of the same product at 1.0% and 2.0% were performed. Result: The results revealed that drone spray of 2% TNAU pulse wonder with spray fluid of 75 L ha-1 using atomizer nozzle recorded higher plant dry matter production (3952 kg ha-1), more LAI (3.54), higher grain (725 kg ha -1) and haulm yield (2935 kg ha -1), with the net return of 25335 Rs.ha-1 and B:C ratio of Rs.2.20 per rupee invested. it was followed by application of Poly feed 2.0% through drone. Manual spray of both TNAU pulse wonder and Poly feed were underperformed in blackgram. Hence, it is concluded that application of 2% TNAU pulse wonder at 30 and 45 DAS through drone could be a viable technology to improve the growth and yield of black gram.