Title: (Artificial pollination of Crops and Orchards through unmanned Aerial

Vehicle (UAV) to enhance the yield)

Major Objective:

1. Developnment of pollen production precise process for Artificial pollination through UAVS.
2. Extraction machine and bidirectional pollen mixtures machines and its applications.
3. The training workshops /demonstration/ sharing knowledge within the scientists and farmers

Expected outcome:

1. Unmanned aerial vehicles for artificial pollination can give us surety of more targeted and
precise pollination, leading to enhance crop yield and higher rates of effective fertilization.
2. The dependency on natural pollinators like bees can reduce by artificial pollination using UAVs.
This intention is particularly very crucial as bee population faces so many challenges throughout
the world. By optimizing and updating these resources using of this method may play a vital role
to contribute sustainable and agricultural process.
3. Having precise pollination, they have potential for better crop and orchard quality including
uniform size and shape which can cause positive impact in market value and give consumer
satisfaction.
4. Unmanned aerial vehicle can cover a larger agricultural area, time saving and reducing the need
of labor in this artificial pollination process.

Equipment’s:

1. Pollen vacuum collector

2. Pollen blower
3. Pollen drone
4. Pollen collector
5. Paint brush
6. Pollen storage system
7. Hand pollination kits
8. Protective Gears
9. Labelling and recording materials.
Review literature:

The drone fly pollinates many crops and is found almost worldwide. Its successful management as a
field-crop pollinator would provide an additional option to augment bee pollination (Howlett and Gee,
2019). The study about using artificial pollination method show households who adopted artificial
pollination had improvements in their productivity, income, poverty situation, and food security
(Wongnaa et al, 2021). To improve pollination efficiency, further experiments will be needed to
determine the effects of the operation height and speed on pollen flow, including both the distance and
intensity of pollen dispersal on different crops, using UAV. In addition, considering that different pollen
doses in the present study did not cause a difference in fruit set, pollination tests can be performed by
using less pollen in future UAV studies(Ahi Kosar et al, 2023).

(Kim et al) explained about soap bubble have the unique qualities with special coating. In simple way this
device can deliver pollen to specific targeted flower and reduce the need of a lot of pollen. So, this
bubble blower sticks well to pistil of the flower and preventing harm to delicate flowers because of the
flexibility and their softness. Moreover, they enhance the pollen activity by improving the germination
and the length of pollen tube (Kim et al, 2013). They showed that these modified chemically soap bubble
are practical for pollinating (Pyrus Pyrifolia var Culta) and contributing in orchards to health fertility.
Additionally, they also developed mechanically stable soap bubble that can endure for robotic
pollination. Moreover, they developed and designed an autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)
device with a soap bubble maker for transfer the pollen to flowers (Lilium japonicum) assisting in plant
pollination. Development of advanced soft material based robotic technologies will likely impact their
finding in the future (Kim et al, 2013)

(Watson et al) demonstrate and developed a ground based autonomous robotic pollination system
consist of the numbers of a four-wheel vehicles with robotic arm and end effector. this robotic system
operates with a greenhouse environment, and it attached with multiple of sensors, including GPS,
cameras, 3D lidar. Additionally, Multiple sensors are used to localize the environment by using a mapping
algorithm, simultaneous localization. These cameras help to identify the flowers. They equipped robotic
arm with custom made effector enhancing the behaviors of collecting scopa of pollen bees and use
planning path algorithm to pollinate the accurate targeted flowers. This project indicate that a robotic
system is capable of detect accurately and pollinate the flowers in controlled environment is feasible
(Watson et al, 2018)
Research Methodology:

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones, offer a promising method for artificial
pollination in agriculture. Equipped with specialized attachments, these UAVs can efficiently transport
pollen from male flowers to female crops, providing a precise and scalable solution to address pollination
challenges and enhance crop yield. The use of UAVs minimizes manual Labor and allows for targeted
pollination in large and inaccessible fields.

1. Selection of Crops:
Choose the target crops for the study. Ensure that these crops have characteristics that make them
suitable for artificial pollination, such as the need for cross-pollination or the presence of male and
female flowers on separate plants.
2. Pollen Collection Unit
Develop a pollen collecting unit that collect the male pollen from mature male flower without damaging
them. Ensure that the collection process resemble natural pollination as closely as possible, considering
factors like pollen viability and quality.
3. Payload Delivery System
Develop payload delivery system drone with specification that it can carry pollen in payload
compartment securely. The drone may contain controlled release mechanism payload compartment
such as bubbler that dispense pollen.
4. Flight Planning
Develop a flight plan for the drone that covers the entire crop area. Consider factors such as wind speed,
altitude, and the distribution of male and female plants to optimize pollination efficiency.
5. Timing and Synchronization
In artificial pollination method through unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) the time and synchronization
are critical aspect. The timing of the pollination process needs to align with the flowering stage of the
female crops for optimal efficiency.
6. Pollen Dispensation Mechanism
Implement a controlled mechanism on the drone for dispensing pollen. This can be a pneumatic system,
an electrostatic dispenser, or any other method that ensures even distribution of pollen over the female
flowers.
 7. Pollination Verification
Develop a method for verifying successful pollination. This may involve post-pollination inspections of
female flowers, genetic testing, or other techniques to confirm the transfer of pollen and subsequent
fertilization.
8. Data Collection
During and after the drone flights, collect data on various parameters such as pollen dispersion patterns,
pollination success rates, and crop yield. This information will be crucial for assessing the effectiveness of
the artificial pollination system.
9. Statistical Analysis
Perform statistical analysis using correlation term on the collected data from UAV pollination compared
to the natural pollination and other methods.
10. Monitoring and Evaluation
Implement monitoring systems to assess the effectiveness of drone-assisted pollination. This could
involve post-pollination inspections to check for successful fruit development and yield.

Figure 1: Bubble blowing in plants through unmanned aerial vehicles.

Use of Water Sensitive paper: (Editing)

Water sensitive paper is very useful for evaluating and checking the spray distribution, size, and droplet
density. Place the WSP in top, bottom and center part of tree and place the unmanned aerial vehicle
above the orchards or tree check the orchards sprayer penetration. The basic function is to place water-
sensitive paper on trees and then spray bubble solution on it. We can assess the impact of moisture on
the water-sensitive paper. Afterward, we use software to scan the paper, allowing us to determine values
and indicate the potential increase or variation in fruit production. We repeat this method two times
using unmanned aerial vehicles. Additionally, we implement this process before harvesting, when the
fruit is in the early stages of growth.
 Figure 2: Schematic diagram of the water-sensitive paper sampling points and UAV flight path.

Social Economics Significance: (Editing)

Artificial pollination can have significant economic implications for agriculture. The use of UAVs for
pollination can potentially increase crop yields, improve the quality of fruits, and ensure a more reliable
harvest. This, in turn, can contribute to the overall economic viability of orchards and agricultural
communities. The development and deployment of drone technology for artificial pollination may lead
to the creation of new jobs in the agricultural and technology sectors. This can have positive effects on
local economies, providing employment opportunities and contributing to community development. The
adoption of UAVs for artificial pollination represents a technological advancement in agriculture. The
development and use of such technologies require investment and research, stimulating innovation and
economic growth in the technology sector. While the primary goal of artificial pollination is to address
the decline in natural pollinators, it's essential to consider the environmental impact. The use of drones
should be assessed in terms of energy consumption, potential pollution, and overall sustainability.
Sustainable practices can contribute to positive social and environmental outcomes. The success of
artificial pollination methods can directly impact the livelihoods of farmers. Higher crop yields and
improved fruit quality can enhance farmers' incomes, providing economic stability and supporting the
well-being of farming communities.

References:
Ahi Kosar, D., E. Sönmez, A. Argac and Ü. Erturk. 2023. An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Based Artificial
Pollination in a Frost-affected Walnut (Juglans regia L.) Orchard. Tarim Bilim. Derg. 29:765–776.

Howlett, B.G. and M. Gee. 2019. e potential management of the drone y ( Eristalis tenax ) as a crop
pollinator in New Zealand. 229:221–229.

Wongnaa, C.A., I.A. Apike, S. Babu, D. Awunyo-Vitor and A.B. Kyei. 2021. The impact of adoption of
artificial pollination technology in cocoa production: Evidence from Ghana. J. Agric. Food Res.
6:100208.

Kim, S., Laschi, C. (2013). Soft robotics: An autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Based Soap Bubble
Pollination Trends Biotechnol. 31, 287–294

Watson, Ryan & Gross, Jason & Kilic, Cagri. (2018). Design of an Autonomous Precision Pollination Robot.

Summary
Pollination is the reproductive process of plants usually, two types of pollination occur naturally i.e.,
Insect and wind pollination. Recent years due to climate change, extensive use of agrochemicals,
deforestation. There is vast decline in the number of insects worldwide. Specially the numbers of bees
which are the main pollinators. Similarly, the wind pollination effects due to climate change as wind is
not blowing on the time as when required for wind pollination. The state-of-the-art machines that
farmers rely on to pollinate the crops, and the flowers of fruiting plants have been having a tough time of
it lately. The scientist working on different artificial pollination systems admits that there is not enough
technology to replace the virtuosity of bees, their efficiency and producibility but protecting them in
climate change is important scenario. They will use two methods in artificial pollination, Pollen
extraction and bidirectional method. Extraction methods describe how to extract the pollen to create a
solution. Bidirectional method is generally using bubble maker device attached with UAVs, main purpose
is to release the pollen solution into targeted flowers. Moreover, Water sensitive paper will use to check
the efficiency of pollen moisture and by showing how effect the target flowers. Additionally, the
adoption and implementation of artificial pollination directly impact on the productivity, income of small
medium farmers, enhancing value in agriculture growth to growth of Punjab’s economy enabling
environment growth.