Investigating Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) operational parameters, including discharge rate, application rate, theoretical field capacity, effective field capacity, and field efficiency, is paramount for enhancing precision agriculture in apple orchards. This facilitates optimized agrochemical deposition, mitigating resource wastage and ecological contamination. Concurrently, it maximizes canopy coverage and operational throughput. Such empirical data enables superior pest and disease management, fostering robust tree health and elevated horticultural yields. This study rigorously evaluated the performance of a drone spraying system for precision agriculture, focusing on key parameters such as discharge rate (l/min) application rate (l/ha), theoretical field capacity (ha/h), effective field capacity (ha/h), and field efficiency (%). The study in an apple orchard showed that a UAV's application rate decreases significantly with increased flight speed and height, ranging from 166.36 l/ha to 17.389 l/ha. This occurs because the same discharge is spread over a larger area. Theoretical field capacity increased with speed and swath, reaching 8.80 ha/h. However, effective field capacity (0.807-7.248 ha/h) was lower due to factors like refilling. Despite downtime, field efficiency remained high (81.34-93.98%), demonstrating efficient operation. Overall, UAVs show great promise for precise, efficient spraying in apple orchards by adjusting flight parameters

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), discharge rate, application rate, theoretical field capacity, effective field capacity, field efficiency

The study rigorously investigated the operational parameters of a UAV spraying system in an apple orchard, providing critical insights into its performance metrics. The study conclusively demonstrated a clear inverse relationship between application rate and both flight speed and flight height. Specifically, as flight speed increased from 1 m/s to 5 m/s and height from 2 m to 4 m, the application rate significantly decreased from 166.36 l/ha to 17.389 l/ha. This is scientifically attributable to the constant discharge rate being spread over a larger area at higher speeds and wider swaths at greater heights. In terms of productivity, the theoretical field capacity exhibited a direct proportionality to both flight speed and swath width, reaching a maximum of 8.80 ha/h at the highest speed and height combination. The effective field capacity, a more realistic measure of performance, ranged from 0.807 ha/h to 7.248 ha/h, highlighting the inevitable impact of non-productive times such as tank refilling, battery changes, and operational maneuvers. Despite these inherent downtimes, the field efficiency of the drone spraying system in the apple orchard remained commendably high, varying between 81.34% and 93.98%. This indicates efficient utilization of operational time, heavily influenced by operator skill and minimal unproductive work. Overall, the findings underscore the significant potential of UAVs for precision agrochemical application in challenging topographies like apple orchards, offering high efficiency and the ability to tailor application rates by adjusting flight parameters

Bhosale Tejas A., Pal Ramesh, Manju, Singh K.C., Goswami G., Satyartham and Bhosale Shital T. (2025). Study of Machine Parameters for Spraying though Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) in Apple Orchard. International Journal on Emerging Technologies, 16(2): 22–27