In the Vitebsk region, drones are used both in the agro-industrial complex and, uniquely in Belarus, in the gas service
The President has repeatedly emphasized the need to implement best practices in the agro-industrial complex and other sectors. Drones stand out in this regard. They have become a serious asset in the work of border guards, rescuers, surveyors, ecologists... In the Vitebsk region, the experience of using drones in agriculture is available at the "MazolovoGaz" branch of the "Vitebskoblgaz" enterprise and the Vitebsk Zonal Institute of Agriculture of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus in Tulovo. And they have already calculated the effectiveness of using smart devices compared to conventional equipment.
To get acquainted with the fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) of the unitary enterprise "Vitebskoblgaz", we are going to the village of Buyany, Vitebsk district. In 2022, a training and practical center for precision farming was opened on the basis of the agricultural enterprise "MazolovoGaz". For the third year, a DJI AGRAS T30 drone will circle over the farm's fields.
— It's a real hard worker, — smiles 24-year-old Alexander Korol, chief agronomist-agrochemical engineer of the branch. — After graduating from the Belarusian State Agricultural Academy, I joined "MazolovoGaz", where I saw firsthand the smart technologies in the agro-industrial complex that were widely discussed at the university: autopilots in tractor and combine cabins, agricultural drones. I was trained as a UAV operator by my home enterprise.
The introduction of drones at "MazolovoGaz" began with a multispectral drone. The images obtained from a height show how winter crops have overwintered. This approach is fundamentally different from a regular field inspection.
— We see an accurate, full-scale picture, — continues the hereditary farmer. — The boundaries of the areas that need to be re-sown are clearly visible. This includes hard-to-reach areas where it is simply impossible to get through with tractors in early spring – you would get stuck.
It is convenient that the беспPilots can work at night. Special sensors copy the terrain themselves, maintaining the set altitude. For example, for winter crops and rapeseed, it is 2.5 meters. At night, UAVs at "Mazolovogaz" were used for desiccation of rapeseed, i.e., drying it on the vine. In the rainy year of 2022, the farm processed 300 hectares of crops, drying them from the air around the clock. The efficiency of rapeseed desiccation using drones is close to one hundred percent. A ground sprayer damages the crops during the same treatment. As a result, there is a loss of 15-20 percent. A drone minimizes losses.
— Drones, autopilots — these are about real benefits, savings, increased productivity, and yield. By the way, not only experienced but also future farmers study at our precision agriculture center. You should see the students from vocational colleges' eyes light up when we study electronic field maps, weather stations, agricultural drones... There are also virtual reality glasses for exercises on hitching attachments to tractors, setting up seeding units, and much more.
On April 12, Cosmonautics Day, the flight season will also open at the Vitebsk Zonal Institute of Agriculture of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus in Tulovo. The enterprise, which is engaged in seed production, has about 1500 hectares of its own land. The acquired Belarusian drone with the "agro" prefix is a help.
Deputy Director for Commercial Affairs Sergey Kolotkov says:
— We have had a small drone for monitoring fields for about four years. At the end of last summer, an intelligent agricultural complex A60-X joined it.
This drone withwith a 20-liter tank was purchased from the Chinese-Belarusian company "Aviation Technologies and Complexes". In test mode, while undergoing state registration, the aircraft was tested in the fields, as the scientific secretary of the zonal institute Oleg Ravbis picks up the topic:
— The funds were allocated by the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus. Together with the charging station, the drone cost us within 80 thousand rubles. It is cheaper than imported analogues, and its characteristics are no worse.
— Original seed production is a costly and complex process. When cultivating high-reproduction potatoes (super elite), contact with the wheels of agricultural machinery is highly undesirable. This can lead to damage to experimental samples and their infection. For us, a drone is a real find!
Three specialists from the Vitebsk Zonal Institute have undergone training as civilian UAV operators. Among them is 28-year-old Ivan Chekalov, head of the department of grain, leguminous, and cereal crops:
— I did not expect that the training at the metropolitan Center for Training, Professional Development, and Retraining of DOSAAF personnel would be so interesting.
Anna Savelenok, Ivan Chekalov, and Polina Minova.
An agronomist by education, Ivan has entered a completely new "high-flying" field for himself. Much of it concerns not only practice but also regulatory legal acts. He found learning to create flight maps and the basics of safety the most interesting.
Aerial maneuvers over a field are not always predictable. Equipment is equipment. What if the drone collides with an obstacle, such as a tree or a bird? The service center, which can help get a "bird" from Tula back in the air if necessary, is located in the "Great Stone" industrial park. Purchase of spare parts and technical support in Russian are guaranteed.
The flight paths of the flying assistant are born not in the field, but in the office, on a computer. The young agronomist demonstrates multi-colored maps on the monitor:
— Last spring, we digitized the fields with an accuracy of 2–3 centimeters. Topography, plot boundaries, poles – everything has been taken into account. Of our 1500 hectares, we plan to process one-third using an agricultural drone.
— We are studying remotely at the Belarusian State Agricultural Academy and are keenly interested in innovations in the agro-industrial complex. The future is with agricultural drones, — Anna is confident.
21-year-old Polina adds:
— If offered, I would gladly train as a UAV operator. Agronomy is in my genes, from my father and mother. I love my profession. Modern technologies that are coming into the agro-industrial complex make the industry more attractive for young specialists.
Finally, we couldn't resist – we went to the hangar to take a look at the Belarusian apparatus awaiting its finest hour. Its signal lights glow patriotically in red and green. A special RTK station is used for high-precision flights. A massive, reliable tripod with such a station is installed directly in the field.
Vitebsk gas workers use dronesnot only in the agro-industrial complex. Specialists equipped a Chinese quadcopter with a laser detector and a built-in video camera to search for methane leaks. Sergey Velichko, Chief Engineer of the Vitebskgaz Production Department, introduces the rationalization proposal:
— The drone, with a payload of up to three kilograms, stays airborne for about 30 minutes. It inspects gas pipelines for natural gas leaks, tree and shrub vegetation, and detects unauthorized earthworks. The portable gas analyzer Mini-G transmits data online to a controller, which then integrates into the Panorama 2.0 software complex.
The innovation implemented by Vitebskoblgaz is unique for Belarus. Russians, who were demonstrated the novelty, are also showing interest. In the Vitebsk district alone, about 160 kilometers of gas pipelines located in areas difficult for humans to access were surveyed by such a drone last year. In total, Vitebskoblgaz manages over 7,000 kilometers of gas pipelines. Of these, about 700 are in hard-to-reach sections, so the drone has a lot of work to do. A flight schedule for all districts of the region has been drawn up. Three specialists from the enterprise have undergone training as UAV operators at the Institute for Professional Development and Retraining of the Belarusian State Technological University. Permission for unmanned flights is obtained from Belaeronavigation.
BY THE WAY
While drones are still an exotic feature on farms in the Vitebsk region, other elements of precision farming, such as autopilots, can be seen in the cabs of machinery at many enterprises. Funds are allocated in the regional budget for the implementation of innovative directions in the agro-industrial complex. For example, two new agricultural enterprises, Vitebskaya Broiler Poultry Farm and Dolzha-Agro of OAO BelVitunipharm, have been included in the digitalization and precision farming program for 2024.
DID YOU KNOW?
In February 2024, the legislative framework was approved in Belarus.
— It's a real hard worker, — smiles 24-year-old Alexander Korol, chief agronomist-agrochemical engineer of the branch. — After graduating from the Belarusian State Agricultural Academy, I joined "MazolovoGaz", where I saw firsthand the smart technologies in the agro-industrial complex that were widely discussed at the university: autopilots in tractor and combine cabins, agricultural drones. I was trained as a UAV operator by my home enterprise.
The introduction of drones at "MazolovoGaz" began with a multispectral drone. The images obtained from a height show how winter crops have overwintered. This approach is fundamentally different from a regular field inspection.
— We see an accurate, full-scale picture, — continues the hereditary farmer. — The boundaries of the areas that need to be re-sown are clearly visible. This includes hard-to-reach areas where it is simply impossible to get through with tractors in early spring – you would get stuck.
The farm also uses drones for spot treatment with the stimulating agent KAS to even out unevenly developing crops. The AGRAS T30 tank holds 30 liters. The drone's daily output is about 70-110 hectares. One fill, when working with concentrated preparations, is enough for six hectares. The drone comes with three batteries, each charged for 12 minutes of operation.Alexander Korol.
It is convenient that the беспPilots can work at night. Special sensors copy the terrain themselves, maintaining the set altitude. For example, for winter crops and rapeseed, it is 2.5 meters. At night, UAVs at "Mazolovogaz" were used for desiccation of rapeseed, i.e., drying it on the vine. In the rainy year of 2022, the farm processed 300 hectares of crops, drying them from the air around the clock. The efficiency of rapeseed desiccation using drones is close to one hundred percent. A ground sprayer damages the crops during the same treatment. As a result, there is a loss of 15-20 percent. A drone minimizes losses.
UAVs are also indispensable in combating Sosnowski's hogweed. For Vitebsk region, which suffers from this dangerous plant more than other regions, the issue is relevant. At "Mazolovogaz," they successfully fight back against the green "terminator" even in hard-to-reach places. Last year, the farm treated 10 hectares with hogweed outbreaks.There is no way forward in the agro-industrial complex without innovations, believes Alexander Korol:
— Drones, autopilots — these are about real benefits, savings, increased productivity, and yield. By the way, not only experienced but also future farmers study at our precision agriculture center. You should see the students from vocational colleges' eyes light up when we study electronic field maps, weather stations, agricultural drones... There are also virtual reality glasses for exercises on hitching attachments to tractors, setting up seeding units, and much more.
Deputy Director for Commercial Affairs Sergey Kolotkov says:
— We have had a small drone for monitoring fields for about four years. At the end of last summer, an intelligent agricultural complex A60-X joined it.
This drone withwith a 20-liter tank was purchased from the Chinese-Belarusian company "Aviation Technologies and Complexes". In test mode, while undergoing state registration, the aircraft was tested in the fields, as the scientific secretary of the zonal institute Oleg Ravbis picks up the topic:
— The funds were allocated by the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus. Together with the charging station, the drone cost us within 80 thousand rubles. It is cheaper than imported analogues, and its characteristics are no worse.
Among the advantages are rotary nozzles, which are more reliable compared to slot nozzles, and which not only ensure high spraying quality but also help save resources. If a ground sprayer consumes about 200 liters of working solution per hectare, then when using a UAV, the consumption rate is reduced to 5-10 liters.By this season, the enterprise plans to purchase another spare battery. Fast battery charging is one of the significant advantages of the device, as is more powerful spraying, the presence of a radio altimeter for flight altitude control, and intelligent software... Thanks to the A60-X, it is possible to process up to 80 hectares per day from the air. The useful acquisition in Tulovo will most likely be sent first for herbicide treatment on the grain field. And on potatoes, fungicides will be studied using a drone. This topic is dedicated to the scientific work of one of the institute's postgraduate students. Oleg Ravbis adds:
— Original seed production is a costly and complex process. When cultivating high-reproduction potatoes (super elite), contact with the wheels of agricultural machinery is highly undesirable. This can lead to damage to experimental samples and their infection. For us, a drone is a real find!
Three specialists from the Vitebsk Zonal Institute have undergone training as civilian UAV operators. Among them is 28-year-old Ivan Chekalov, head of the department of grain, leguminous, and cereal crops:
— I did not expect that the training at the metropolitan Center for Training, Professional Development, and Retraining of DOSAAF personnel would be so interesting.
Anna Savelenok, Ivan Chekalov, and Polina Minova.An agronomist by education, Ivan has entered a completely new "high-flying" field for himself. Much of it concerns not only practice but also regulatory legal acts. He found learning to create flight maps and the basics of safety the most interesting.
Aerial maneuvers over a field are not always predictable. Equipment is equipment. What if the drone collides with an obstacle, such as a tree or a bird? The service center, which can help get a "bird" from Tula back in the air if necessary, is located in the "Great Stone" industrial park. Purchase of spare parts and technical support in Russian are guaranteed.
The flight paths of the flying assistant are born not in the field, but in the office, on a computer. The young agronomist demonstrates multi-colored maps on the monitor:
— Last spring, we digitized the fields with an accuracy of 2–3 centimeters. Topography, plot boundaries, poles – everything has been taken into account. Of our 1500 hectares, we plan to process one-third using an agricultural drone.
Carrying out chemical treatment by drone is 2.8 times more effective than using a tractor. This is because the tractor wheels "take out of crop rotation" up to 10 percent of the plot. Therefore, the use of drones is about beautiful fields and about greater crop preservation.Young agronomists Anna Savelenok and Polina Minova are studying flight maps.
— We are studying remotely at the Belarusian State Agricultural Academy and are keenly interested in innovations in the agro-industrial complex. The future is with agricultural drones, — Anna is confident.
21-year-old Polina adds:
— If offered, I would gladly train as a UAV operator. Agronomy is in my genes, from my father and mother. I love my profession. Modern technologies that are coming into the agro-industrial complex make the industry more attractive for young specialists.
Finally, we couldn't resist – we went to the hangar to take a look at the Belarusian apparatus awaiting its finest hour. Its signal lights glow patriotically in red and green. A special RTK station is used for high-precision flights. A massive, reliable tripod with such a station is installed directly in the field.
— The drone, with a payload of up to three kilograms, stays airborne for about 30 minutes. It inspects gas pipelines for natural gas leaks, tree and shrub vegetation, and detects unauthorized earthworks. The portable gas analyzer Mini-G transmits data online to a controller, which then integrates into the Panorama 2.0 software complex.
The innovation implemented by Vitebskoblgaz is unique for Belarus. Russians, who were demonstrated the novelty, are also showing interest. In the Vitebsk district alone, about 160 kilometers of gas pipelines located in areas difficult for humans to access were surveyed by such a drone last year. In total, Vitebskoblgaz manages over 7,000 kilometers of gas pipelines. Of these, about 700 are in hard-to-reach sections, so the drone has a lot of work to do. A flight schedule for all districts of the region has been drawn up. Three specialists from the enterprise have undergone training as UAV operators at the Institute for Professional Development and Retraining of the Belarusian State Technological University. Permission for unmanned flights is obtained from Belaeronavigation.
BY THE WAY
While drones are still an exotic feature on farms in the Vitebsk region, other elements of precision farming, such as autopilots, can be seen in the cabs of machinery at many enterprises. Funds are allocated in the regional budget for the implementation of innovative directions in the agro-industrial complex. For example, two new agricultural enterprises, Vitebskaya Broiler Poultry Farm and Dolzha-Agro of OAO BelVitunipharm, have been included in the digitalization and precision farming program for 2024.
DID YOU KNOW?
In February 2024, the legislative framework was approved in Belarus.
on working with agricultural drones. Now they have been officially equated to light aviation, giving the go-ahead for the application of plant protection products registered in the registry by drones.
"Belarus Segodnya"