Despite its small size, Israel has one of the most advanced agricultural sectors in the world.  And like other farming countries, Israel faces a shortage of agricultural labor at a time when production is booming.  How can Israel close the gap? With a wide array of robotic technologies – including drones.

Israeli agricultural engineers are among the most highly trained anywhere in the world; they have to be: the country’s soil and growing conditions are forbidding.  From its earliest days as a nation Israel has made improved efficiency in agriculture a top priority. Currently, state-of-the-art UAVs are active in all aspects of Israeli farm management, from pollination and seeding to spraying and cultivation.  By replacing expensive field labor and gas-powered road vehicles with  battery-powered drones, Israel is boosting yields at reduced cost – while enhancing sustainability.

One Israeli company. Gas Fertilizers, is using aerial drones to model soil conditions in a field, especially deficits in iron and phosphorus that can affect fertility.   The data collected is used to guide a plan for seeding and irrigation as well as fertilizer use.  After the field is planted, company drones also locate irrigation malfunctions including leakage or damage to the irrigation system; the drones also use thermal photography to identify thirsty or over-watered plants and to adjust irrigation conditions accordingly.

Israel drones aren’t just operating on the front end of the planning cycle.  Another Israeli company, Tevel Aeronautics, has designed a cultivation drone that attaches a suction rod to apples and other hanging fruit and pulls them off the vine, before depositing the fruit in a mechanized wheelbarrow.  The drone doesn’t pick each apple; using sensors and advanced analytics, it first assesses whether the apple is ripe and free of disease; only ripe apples are picked; the drone also records the status of unripe apples, including their sugar content, and is programmed to return and pick them at a later date.

Some Israeli innovations are still in the experimental phase.  For example, researchers at Jerusalem’s Hebrew University are testing the use of hexacopter drones with mounted spectral cameras to estimate plant yield, using maize as a test crop.  The first test showed the best stage of development for predicting potential yield and for intervening with appropriate inputs to counteract a variety of potential crop stressors.  Spectral imaging to predict maize yields is not new, but the novel use of camera-equipped drones speeds the process and allows for better estimations of potential yield and more precise and cost-effective interventions to maximize them.

Israel’s use of drones in agriculture has demonstrated how UAVs can improve operational efficiency, maximize farm yields and enhance sustainability across a wide range of fruit and vegetable crops.  While other countries, including the United States, are developing similar drone-based methods, Israel is widely recognized as a global pioneer. Not every country can afford to develop its own drone-based technology – and a growing number in Africa and Asia are importing Israel’s through technology transfer programs that allow indigenous companies to begin developing their own native industry.   Thanks to Israeli ingenuity and assistance, more rural societies still dependent on agriculture can export more cash crops, reduce hunger among their people and better fulfill their economic development potential.