UAVs in Plant Protection: From Early Innovations to Sustainable Practices

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have rapidly emerged as transformative tools in modern agriculture, particularly in the domain of plant protection. Traditionally, crop protection relied on ground-based spraying systems and manual labor, which were often inefficient, costly, and environmentally taxing. Early applications of UAVs focused primarily on pesticide spraying, offering increased flexibility, precision, and labor savings. Over the past decade, technological advancements in UAV design, imaging sensors, and artificial intelligence have expanded their role from simple spraying platforms to comprehensive crop health management systems. Today, UAVs are being integrated with multispectral imaging, real-time data analytics, and intelligent decision-making algorithms to monitor plant stress, detect diseases, optimize pesticide use, and support sustainable farming practices. As the agriculture sector faces mounting challenges from climate change, pest resistance, and environmental regulations, UAV-based plant protection represents both a scientific frontier and a practical pathway toward more resilient and sustainable food production systems.

This Research Topic aims to address the pressing need for innovative, efficient, and environmentally responsible approaches to crop protection through UAV technologies. The central problem lies in balancing crop yield security with reduced chemical inputs and minimal ecological impact. Recent advances in UAV platforms, AI-driven analytics, and precision spraying provide unprecedented opportunities to achieve this balance. By showcasing novel UAV designs, data-driven monitoring methods, and integrated pest management strategies, this Research Topic seeks to highlight solutions that contribute to sustainable agriculture. The ultimate goal is to advance UAV-based practices that improve productivity, reduce risks, and promote ecological stewardship.

In this Research Topic, we welcome all article types published by Frontiers in Plant Science that advance the science, technology, and applications of UAVs in plant protection especially those that focus on:

• Sensor integration (multispectral, hyperspectral, thermal, LiDAR) for crop monitoring.
• AI and machine learning for pest, disease, and weed detection.
• UAV-enabled early warning systems for plant stress and disease outbreaks.
• UAVs for pollination and crop management beyond spraying.
• Energy-efficient UAV operations and swarm-based plant protection.
• Environmental impact assessment of UAV-based plant protection practices.
• Regulatory, safety, and policy frameworks for UAV use in agriculture.
• Case studies on UAV adoption in different crops and regions.
• Economic and social implications of UAV-based plant protection.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), Plant Protection, Precision Agriculture, Pest and Disease Management, Sustainable Farming, Remote Sensing, Artificial Intelligence

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.