News   •

06 March 2024

AI and Drones Aid Farmers

Valkenburg (ZH) – Researchers from Unmanned Valley, Greenport DB, and NL Space Campus have successfully developed an AI model that enables drones to identify botrytis. The model leverages artificial intelligence to analyze vast amounts of drone data, resulting in a detailed map that pinpoints, with millimeter precision, which plants are diseased or at risk. This innovation could significantly reduce the use of crop protection agents. The final results of the ‘Remote Sensing for Horticulture’ project were presented on Wednesday evening, March 6, at Unmanned Valley.

The European Union aims to substantially reduce the use of pesticides in the coming years, as part of the European Green Deal, with the goal of making Europe the world’s first climate-neutral continent by 2050. Excessive use of pesticides poses risks to water quality and biodiversity, among other things. By early and accurate detection of conditions that could harm crops, these substances can be applied more precisely, significantly reducing their usage.

Currently, the model is only capable of recognizing botrytis in tulips and hyacinths. However, it is expected that with a few minor adjustments, the model could also detect other diseases in different crops. This is a very interesting development for growers, not only from an environmental perspective but also for potential cost savings, such as reducing the risk of crop failures, not having to purchase large quantities of crop protection agents, and eliminating the need for manual field inspections, which can never cover every plant. Additionally, the researchers used an easily obtainable and relatively inexpensive drone that can even perform missions fully automatically, though a pilot is still required to be present for now.

The ‘Remote Sensing for Horticulture’ project will continue. Efforts will be made to improve the accuracy of the measurements by combining drone data with satellite imagery and current information on soil and weather conditions. Moreover, several large companies from the agri-sector have expressed interest in exploring whether the technology can detect other diseases in different crops. The scalability of the techniques and the development of the business model will also be examined.

This project was made possible by the municipality of Katwijk, Holland Rijnland, and Drone-Engineering & Operations students from the ROC of Amsterdam.

End of press release


About NL Space Campus: NL Space Campus serves as a hub for the (inter)national aerospace sector, with ESA ESTEC and the Leiden-Delft-Erasmus universities as key knowledge partners. It’s a central place for the space community and a breeding ground where start-ups and scale-ups, scientists, students, and young professionals come together, collaborate, apply and share knowledge, and strengthen each other. Entrepreneurs, educational and research organizations, government, and other societal stakeholders meet here, fostering collaborations and facilitating knowledge sharing, focused on applying aerospace knowledge, data, and technology in other sectors. The campus hosts ESA ESTEC, Space Business Innovation Centre Noordwijk, Galileo Reference Centre, Centre of Excellence EGNSS, Space Expo, and several space-related companies. More information at: www.nlspacecampus.nl


About Greenport Duin- en Bollenstreek: Greenport Duin- en Bollenstreek is a cluster of knowledge, innovation, entrepreneurship, trade, and cultivation innovation in the flower & bulb economy, located in the municipalities of Hillegom, Katwijk, Lisse, Noordwijk, and Teylingen. The open landscape with outdoor cultivation makes it an attractive region to live and recreate. Surrounding areas, such as the agricultural land between Hillegom and Haarlem, complete this picture. From this Greenport, contributions are made to projects, knowledge is shared, and connections are made between parties such as government, entrepreneurs, research, education, and the community. More information at: www.greenportdb.nl


About Unmanned Valley: Unmanned Valley is a campus for sensor-related technologies and applications, making it the ideal place for startups, scale-ups, established companies, knowledge institutions, and governments to research, develop, and test drones and other sensor-based technologies. Unmanned Valley is unique in the Netherlands, offering continuous and flexible use of airspace, and a corridor to the sea that will soon enable BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) flying over land and sea. The campus is located at the former Valkenburg Naval Air Base, with the field lab at the heart of the area among companies and institutions that make up the UAV industry. Unmanned Valley is an initiative of TU Delft and the municipality of Katwijk, supported by a contribution from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) of the EU. More information at: www.unmannedvalley.nl