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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Plant Sci.
Sec. Sustainable and Intelligent Phytoprotection
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpls.2025.1581367
This article is part of the Research TopicAdvanced Methods, Equipment and Platforms in Precision Field Crops Protection, Volume IIView all 12 articles
Optimization of spray operation parameters of unmanned aerial vehicle confers adequate levels of control of fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda)
Provisionally accepted- 1Environment and Plant Protection Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou, China
- 2Sanya Research Academy, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agriculture Science, Sanya, China
- 3Sanya Institute, China Agricultural University, Sanya, China
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The fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda, is a serious threat to maize production.Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) represent a promising method for controlling FAW outbreaks. Given that FAW larvae primarily feed inside the maize whorl, we hypothesized that the efficacy of insecticide application depends on droplet density and coverage rate on the upper maize canopy. This study evaluated the effects of spray operation parametersincluding three flight heights (2.0, 2.5, and 3.0 m), three spray volumes (30.0, 37.5, and 45.0 L ha⁻¹), and two nozzle types (XR11001VS and XR110015VS)-on droplet deposition distribution in maize canopies. Additionally, the control efficacy of 35% chlorantraniliprole water dispersible granules (WDG) against FAW was assessed over three consecutive years (2019-2021) to determine its correlation with droplet deposition. Results indicated that flight height, spray volume, and nozzle type significantly influenced droplet deposition distribution.Two treatments-XR110015VS nozzle with 37.5 L ha⁻¹ spray volume at 2.5 m flight height and XR110015VS nozzle with 45.0 L ha⁻¹ spray volume at 2.5 m flight height-achieved the highest droplet density, optimal coverage rate on the upper maize canopy, and the lowest damage index, confirming our hypothesis. These treatments also demonstrated comparable FAW control efficacy to traditional electric air-pressure knapsack sprayers. The findings provide practical insights for optimizing UAV-based insecticide applications to improve FAW management in maize production systems.
Keywords: Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, fall armyworm, spray operation parameter, droplet deposition, Control effect
Received: 22 Feb 2025; Accepted: 14 Apr 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Liu, Liang, Wu, An, Wu, Hua, Li and Chen. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Zhihong Li, Sanya Institute, China Agricultural University, Sanya, China
Qing Chen, Environment and Plant Protection Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou, China
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.