Optimizing the Impact of Spray Characteristics of Hybrid Drone on Spray Deposition in Cotton Crops

The effectiveness of a hybrid unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for optimizing crop booster application on cotton crops (variety Co-14) at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University is evaluated in this research.The hybrid UAV, featuring a 12-litre sprayer tank and powered by an internal combustion engine and brushless direct current motor, was tested at heights of 1 and 2 m and speeds of 3 and 4 m s -1 .The objective was to determine optimal parameters for maximizing droplet deposition and minimizing spray drift.The results indicated that at 1 m and 3 m s -1 , the droplet density in the target area was 148 8 drops/cm 2 , compared to 136 4 drops/cm 2 at 2 m.The volume median diameter at 1 m and 3 m s -1 was 361 m, and the number median diameter was 392 m, showing higher deposition and uniform droplet sizes at lower heights and lower speeds.Spray drift analysis indicated reduced off-target movement at 1 m and 3 m s -1 , showing a non-target droplet density of 54 4 drops/cm 2 compared to 42 6 drops/cm 2 at 2 m.The study concludes that the optimal UAV operation parameters are 1 m height and 3 m s -1 speed, enhancing droplet deposition, minimizing drift, and improving spray efficiency.