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Farmers have always struggled with weeds in their fields. Weeds are unwanted plants that compete with crops for sunlight, water, and nutrients. Removing weeds is a tough and time-consuming job, and many farmers use chemicals called herbicides to kill them. However, spraying chemicals over an entire field can be expensive and bad for the environment. Now, researchers at the Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, are using drones and artificial intelligence, or AI, to help farmers deal with weeds in a smarter way.

Dr Emmanuel Zuza, a senior lecturer in Environmental Management and Sustainability, is leading the project. He demonstrated how he uses a console to fly a white drone over a young wheat field. The drone hovers just above the plants and takes detailed pictures of the field. The AI system then scans these images to spot where the weeds are growing. This technology allows farmers to target only the areas with weeds instead of spraying the whole field. Dr Zuza explained that this method means less herbicide and pesticide is released into the environment, and it also lowers the cost of farming.

Another problem is that some weeds have become resistant to certain herbicides, making them harder to kill. By using less chemicals and only where they are needed, this new technology could help slow down the growth of resistant weeds. Students at the university are working on training the AI to recognize different types of weeds, even when they are hidden among the crops. The AI can also be taught to identify insects and other pests that damage plants. The research is currently being done on university land, but soon the team will test the drones on working farms. Dr Zuza said they are already talking to local farmers about using the drones on different crops. This new approach could make farming more efficient, save money, and protect the environment.