China leads global agriculture drones deployment: U.S. industry report

China has become a pioneer in embracing and scaling drone technology in farming, said a report by U.S. clean tech news site CleanTechnica on Friday.

Beyond their low upfront costs, drones dramatically reduced operational expenses by lowering fuel use to near zero, sharply reducing chemicals used through precise application, and cutting labor requirements substantially, said the report.

Farmers transitioning from traditional spraying methods -- whether tractor-mounted rigs or manned crop-dusting aircraft -- regularly report savings of around 30 percent per square kilometer, factoring in reduced chemical volume, it said.

As regulations continue to adapt worldwide, the agricultural drone revolution that began in China appears positioned to transform farming practices globally in the coming decade.

If current growth patterns continue, by 2035, drone spraying could easily become standard practice on the majority of farms worldwide, said the report.