Drone agrotechnology’s for cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) pest and diseases management in Western of Burkina Faso

Drone technologies, also known as "unmanned aerial vehicles" (UAVs) or "unmanned aerial systems" (UAS), have a wide range of applications, including mapping, land-use planning, crop/infrastructure damage assessment, fertilizer spraying and precision crop protection. However, its use is still very limited in the agricultural sector in Africa in general and in Burkina Faso in particular. This study was initiated to explore the potential of UAVs for optimizing cotton yields through monitoring and phytosanitary efficiency. To this end, phytosanitary treatments and monitoring of vegetation status using multispectral drone imagery were carried out on cotton. The experimental sample consisted of four (04) cotton fields in four (04) locations. Phytosanitary treatments and aerial photography were respectively carried out using a DJI AGRAS T16 spray drone and a DJI Phantom 4 Multispectral drone. Phytosanitary treatment with DJI AGRAS T16 drone resulted in savings of 32.41% in treatment duration, 23.58% in water, 1% in pesticides and 10.5% in labor compared with manual spraying, but did not have a positive impact on boll yields due to jassid populations attack. The RGB and NDVI vegetation indices generated by photogrammetric processing of multispectral images acquired by drone enabled us to perceive phytosanitary state of cotton plants during their development cycle. Information provided by these vegetation indices and by this study in general can be used to improve the efficiency of phytosanitary treatments against cotton pests and diseases.