The impact of foliar fertiliser on oil palm trees using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV)

Agriculture has undergone a significant transformation from traditional to modern practices, incorporating advanced technologies to enhance productivity and sustainability. This study aims to examine the effectiveness of foliar spraying for nutrient supplementation on oil palms using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Specifically, this research employs UAVs for nutrient spraying and multispectral mapping. The fertiliser aerial deployments were carried out monthly while the multispectral data captures were done thrice in between these intervals. Findings indicate that the use of foliar fertilisation method via UAVs yields better results over time, as evidenced by the analysis of temporal changes in the Leaf Chlorophyll Index. This suggest s that UAV-assisted foliar spraying can be a more efficient and effective approach for nutrient supplementation in oil palm cultivation. Additionally, this paper highlights two primary advantages: (i) the use of UAVs for agricultural spraying, and (ii) the use of UAVs for assessing chlorophyll content. The latter offers a non-destructive alternative to traditional laboratory methods for measuring nitrogen (N) levels, enabling scientists and agronomists to evaluate crop performance constructively.