A new era in farming is taking shape as DJI Agriculture Philippines, a division of global drone leader DJI, begins offering advanced drone technology to boost efficiency, sustainability and productivity in the agricultural sector.

In an interview, DJI Agriculture Philippines Key accounts Manager Joshua Ramil De Guzman said that since 2015, DJI Agriculture has provided a diverse lineup of unmanned aerial systems, including the advanced Agras series, tailored to meet the evolving needs of modern farming.

“These drones are designed to perform key agricultural functions such as crop spraying, seeding, and aerial mapping with high precision and efficiency. DJI’s solutions help streamline field operations, minimize manual labor, and ensure accurate input distribution by integrating technologies like intelligent flight planning, multispectral imaging, and automated obstacle sensing,” he said.

De Guzman said that by leveraging these innovations, farmers can achieve higher yields, reduce costs, and adopt more sustainable and data-driven agricultural practices.

“By the end of 2024, approximately 400,000 DJI Agriculture drones were in operation worldwide, marking a 90 percent increase since 2020. This widespread adoption has contributed to significant resource savings, including approximately 222 million tons of water and a reduction of 30.87 tons of carbon emissions,” according to De Guzman.

Further, he said DJI Agriculture is deeply committed to advancing sustainable farming practices by leveraging the power of precision agriculture and smart farming technologies.

Through the integration of intelligent drone systems, data-driven analysis, and automated field management, he said the division empowers farmers to make informed decisions that lead to optimized resource use, reduced environmental impact, and increased productivity.

“By enabling targeted applications of water, fertilizers, and pesticides, DJI's solutions help minimize waste and prevent overuse of agricultural inputs, contributing to soil health and long-term ecological balance. Ultimately, DJI Agriculture aims to support the global effort to ensure food security while promoting environmentally responsible and economically viable farming methods,” he said.

The Agras T50 is a flagship of efficiency and stability, born from a deep understanding of the demands of large-scale farming. It inherits a coaxial dual-rotor design and 54-inch propellers for next-level stability when carrying 40 kg spraying or 50kg spreading payloads, which enables efficient spraying of up to 50 acres (21 hectares) per hour.

T50's dual atomization spraying system, with an increased flow rate of up to 16 liters per minute with two sprinklers and adjustable-sized spray droplets, is ideal for a variety of applications from fields to orchards. Easily converted to its spreading configuration, the T50 can carry 50 kg of dry granules and spread at a flow rate of up to 108 kg/min2 or 1.5 tons per hour.

“This combination of power, precision, and versatility sets T50 apart as a top choice in agricultural drones, designed to meet the evolving needs of modern farming,” he said.

 The T50 features an upgraded four-antenna O3 Transmission system, extending the remote controller-drone connection up to two kilometers.

For operations over mountains and other complex environments, users can deploy a DJI Relay to extend transmission range and stability for improved operation safety.

“The T50 features dual Active Phased Array Radars and binocular vision sensors. These work together to accurately reconstruct the T50's surroundings and detect nearby obstacles, for intelligent obstacle sensing and bypassing, and Terrain Following over slopes. Equipped with an additional pair of centrifugal sprinklers, increasing the flow rate to 24 liters per minute. This benefits tasks like orchard spraying that require a higher flow rate to penetrate dense canopies and treat the fronts and backs of leaves,” De Guzman further explained.

Powered by a DB1560 Intelligent Flight Battery, with a capacity of up to 30 Ah and 1500 charge cycles4. The D12000iEP Multifunctional Inverter Generator, paired with the Air-Cooled Heat Sink, enables 9-minute fast charging, allowing for continuous operations with a pair of batteries. 

In a Palace briefing earlier, Information and Communications Technology Secretary Henry Aguda disclosed that a foreign logistics firm is considering piloting its drone delivery service in Luzon.

“They agreed, their first pilot will be in the Philippines. So, if this happens this year, the Philippines will be, again, on the map as one of their first countries that will do drone delivery in ASEAN,” he said.