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28 March 2024

UAE uses drones to fight red palm weevils

Published
By Wam

The UAE’s Ministry of Environment and Water is using unmanned aerial vehicles to fight red palm weevils which destroy date trees.

Using remote sensation technology, UAVs locate the insects and determine the scale of the plague in infested farms, said Mohammed Musa, Director at the Ministry's Department of Agricultural Research. 

Data collected by the drones is used to create maps to identify the species of weevil and show the scale of damage to the trees.

Musa said the new move is in line with the government's strategy to promote sustainability and fulfil the initiative of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan of declaring 2015 as the year of innovation.