This Research Topic is part of the article collection series - Advancing Plant Science with UAVs: Precision in Agricultural Sensing, Targeted Protection, and Phenotyping

Global agriculture is at a critical juncture, tasked with the immense challenge of feeding a burgeoning world population sustainably amidst escalating climate change impacts and diminishing natural resources. In this context, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones, have emerged as a transformative technology, providing novel capabilities to observe, analyze, and interact with agricultural landscapes at high spatial and temporal resolutions.

This Research Topic is devoted to three pivotal areas where UAVs are making significant inroads: (1) agricultural remote sensing - monitoring crop status, detecting biotic/abiotic stress, optimizing irrigation and fertilization, and predicting yield; (2) targeted plant protection - precise application of phytosanitary products to minimize chemical use and environmental impact; and (3) high-throughput phenotyping - rapid, non-destructive assessment of key agronomic and physiological traits across large field populations.

Specific themes include, but are not limited to:
- UAV-based Agricultural Remote Sensing
- UAV-enabled Targeted Plant Protection
- UAV-based High-Throughput Phenotyping (HTP)
- Novel Sensor Development and Integration for UAV Platforms
- Advanced Data Fusion Techniques
- Development of Open-Source Tools, Platforms, and Standardized Protocols

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Advancing Plant Science with UAVs: Precision in Agricultural Sensing, Targeted Protection, and Phenotyping, volume II