The Slovenian Community of Practice established within the ClimateSmartAdvisors project focuses on exploring the potential of unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) and digital technologies in agriculture. The goal is to better understand the technological, regulatory, and practical aspects of drone use to assess their potential for more efficient, precise, and sustainable agricultural production.
At the start of the work, several key thematic areas were identified, including an overview of the drone market, the regulatory framework for drone operation, the use of drones for crop monitoring, and the application of plant protection products. Cooperation was established among members along with a shared platform for exchanging knowledge and good practices.
A significant part of the work focused on understanding the legislation governing the use of drones, particularly regarding safety requirements, licensing procedures, and lawful use of drones in agricultural practice. At the same time, the group explored the broader concept of precision agriculture, in which drones function as part of an integrated decision-support system together with remote sensing, data analysis, field zoning, and site-specific application of agricultural inputs.
Discussions within the community highlighted several advantages such as improved crop monitoring and rapid response to field conditions, though limitations like high initial costs and sensitivity to weather conditions were also noted. Conventional agricultural machinery therefore remains essential, and the community emphasises the complementary role of both approaches.
Particular attention has been given to digital tools, vegetation indices, and practical examples of linking drone-generated data with soil sampling. The work of the community confirms that drones have significant potential as a support tool for modern agricultural advisory services, provided that advisors and farmers have adequate knowledge.
Delovna skupina, ustanovljena v okviru projekta Climate Smart Advisors (CSA), se osredotoča na raziskovanje in razumevanje možnosti uporabe brezpilotnih letalnikov (dronov) ter sorodnih digitalnih tehnologij v slovenskem kmetijstvu. Naš cilj je pridobiti celovit vpogled v tehnološke, zakonodajne in praktične vidike uporabe dronov ter ovrednotiti njihov potencial za bolj učinkovito, natančno in trajnostno kmetijsko pridelavo.
Ob začetku delovanja smo določili ključna vsebinska področja dela, ki vključujejo pregled trga dronov, zakonodajni okvir, uporabo dronov za spremljanje stanja posevkov, nanos fitofarmacevtskih sredstev in gnojil ter primerjavo s klasično kmetijsko mehanizacijo. Vzpostavili smo sodelovanje med člani iz različnih območnih kmetijsko-gozdarskih zavodov ter skupni prostor za izmenjavo znanj in dobrih praks.
Pomemben del našega dela namenjamo razumevanju zakonodaje, ki ureja uporabo brezpilotnih letalnikov, zlasti z vidika varnosti, licenciranja in zakonite uporabe v kmetijski praksi. Hkrati obravnavamo širši koncept sodobnega in preciznega kmetijstva, kjer droni predstavljajo del celostnega sistema podpore odločanju, skupaj z daljinskim zaznavanjem, analizo podatkov, coniranjem površin in ciljno prilagojeno rabo kmetijskih vložkov. Ugotavljamo, da droni prinašajo pomembne prednosti pri monitoringu posevkov, natančnosti in hitrem odzivanju, hkrati pa imajo tudi omejitve, kot so visoki začetni stroški, tehnične omejitve in občutljivost na vremenske razmere. Klasična kmetijska mehanizacija ostaja nepogrešljiva, zato poudarjamo dopolnjevanje obeh pristopov.
Posebno pozornost namenjamo uporabi digitalnih orodij, vegetacijskih indeksov in praktičnim primerom povezovanja podatkov dronov z vzorčenjem tal. Naše delo potrjuje, da imajo droni velik potencial kot podporno orodje v sodobnem kmetijskem svetovanju, ob pogoju ustreznega znanja, zakonitega delovanja in povezovanja z drugimi tehnologijami.
