Sapna Soni
Current Organizations / Institutes
The organizations/institutes from the scholar's latest article
Research Subjects
Research Interests
Sapna Soni has a total of 6 co-authors. Here are the top co-authors by number of shared publications:
- Chetan Yumnam
ICAR-Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Bhopal 462038, India
1 shared publication - Deepak Thorat
ICAR-Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Bhopal, India
1 shared publication - Rajeshwar Sanodiya
ICAR-Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Bhopal 462038, India
1 shared publication - Ramesh Kumar Sahni
ICAR-Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Bhopal 462038, India
1 shared publication - Satya Prakash Kumar
ICAR-Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Bhopal 462038, India
1 shared publication - Ved Prakash Chaudhary
ICAR-Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Bhopal 462038, India
1 shared publication
Latest Publications
- Open Access
Comparative Assessment of the Efficacy of Drone Spraying and Gun Spraying for Nano-Urea Application in a Maize Crop
Conventional methods of nano-urea application in maize cultivation, such as tractor-operated gun sprayers, involve high water usage, labor intensity, and operator health risks due to chemical exposure. The drone spraying system ensures precise and automated application of nano-urea with minimal resource use, labor requirement, and operator intervention. However, the efficacy of the drone spraying system for nano-urea application was not evaluated and compared with traditional spraying systems in field conditions. There is a need to evaluate whether drone-based spraying systems can provide an equally effective and more resource-efficient alternative to conventional spraying techniques. Therefore, this study evaluated the agronomic efficacy of a drone-based spraying platform in comparison to conventional tractor-operated gun sprayers for the foliar spray application of nano-urea in the maize crop. Field experiments were conducted during the 2024 Kharif season to evaluate changes in SPAD, NDVI values, and grain yield due to two spray application methods. Both spraying methods showed statistically similar NDVI and SPAD values eight days after nano-urea application, indicating comparable effectiveness in nutrient delivery. Maize yield was also observed to be statistically indistinguishable between the two methods (t (8) = 0.025503, p = 0.9803), with 2912 ± 375 kg/ha (mean ± SE) for the gun sprayer and 2928 ± 503 kg/ha for the drone sprayer treatments. However, the drone system demonstrated significant operational advantages, including 95% water savings and decreased operational time. These findings support the use of drone spraying as a sustainable, safe, and scalable alternative to traditional fertilization application practices in precision agriculture.
Open AccessComparative Assessment of the Efficacy of Drone Spraying and Gun Spraying for Nano-Urea Application in a Maize Crop
Conventional methods of nano-urea application in maize cultivation, such as tractor-operated gun sprayers, involve high water usage, labor intensity, and operator health risks due to chemical exposure. The drone spraying system ensures precise and automated application of nano-urea with minimal resource use, labor requirement, and operator intervention. However, the efficacy of the drone spraying system for nano-urea application was not evaluated and compared with traditional spraying systems in field conditions. There is a need to evaluate whether drone-based spraying systems can provide an equally effective and more resource-efficient alternative to conventional spraying techniques. Therefore, this study evaluated the agronomic efficacy of a drone-based spraying platform in comparison to conventional tractor-operated gun sprayers for the foliar spray application of nano-urea in the maize crop. Field experiments were conducted during the 2024 Kharif season to evaluate changes in SPAD, NDVI values, and grain yield due to two spray application methods. Both spraying methods showed statistically similar NDVI and SPAD values eight days after nano-urea application, indicating comparable effectiveness in nutrient delivery. Maize yield was also observed to be statistically indistinguishable between the two methods (t (8) = 0.025503, p = 0.9803), with 2912 ± 375 kg/ha (mean ± SE) for the gun sprayer and 2928 ± 503 kg/ha for the drone sprayer treatments. However, the drone system demonstrated significant operational advantages, including 95% water savings and decreased operational time. These findings support the use of drone spraying as a sustainable, safe, and scalable alternative to traditional fertilization application practices in precision agriculture.