Meeting the Challenges of Climate Change: traditional atomizer vs. drone spraying on Wheat
This article will focus on:
– Positive effects of foliar fertilization
– Positive Effects of Foliar Fertilization
– Saragolla wheat variety
– Trial objectives
– Biostimulant efficiency
Applying nutrients directly to leaves allows faster absorption, minimizing losses from soil fixation or runoff. Foliar nutrient intake is essential for correcting deficiencies and quickly improving plant growth. Biostimulants in these foliar formulas further enhance nutrient absorption, photosynthesis, abiotic stress resistance, and root development. In durum wheat, foliar fertilization should target specific growth stages. Key times are tillering (for vegetative mass development) and just before heading (for optimal spike and kernel formation, boosting production) (Flagella, 2006).
The Saragolla Variety
This trial used the ancient Saragolla variety. It’s rich in minerals, more digestible than modern wheat, and stone-ground to retain its nutritional properties. Though less productive, Saragolla has high protein content, low gluten, and parasite resistance. This variety, similar to Senator Cappelli, is being revalued, particularly in organic and integrated agriculture, making yield improvement a key goal.
Trial Objectives
This trial evaluated Naturnova Nutriflow,a nitrogen, amino acid, and peptide-based foliar biostimulant, on Saragolla wheat. Its high free amino acid and oligopeptide content stimulates plant metabolism, providing preventative action and rapid recovery from abiotic stress. The biostimulant promotes early vegetative development and macro, meso, and micronutrient absorption.
The high organic nitrogen, amino acids, and peptides improve reproductive development and final quality (Marchini et al., 2022).
Naturnova Nutriflow natural origin and enzymatic hydrolysis production process allow organic farming use. Beyond product effectiveness, the trial compared traditional atomizer vs. drone spraying.
Biostimulant Efficiency
Both application methods showed positive effects. Surveys confirmed satisfactory results. SPAD: This parameter measures chlorophyll content, indicating vegetative state and photosynthetic activity. Higher SPAD values reflect greater plant health. SPAD values
(K log 10 [(IRt/irV)/(IRr/Irv)]
where :
K = constant;
IRt = NIR transmittance (940 nm);
IRr = Red transmittance (650 nm);
Irv = NIR luminous energy (940 nm)) are in Table 1.
Data showed significant statistical differences between control and treated plots. From April 20 to May 12, after applications at early growth and flag leaf stages, treated plots showed higher SPAD values. During waxy maturation, values decreased due to senescence, but treated plots still showed higher SPAD (stay-green effect), benefiting maturation and productivity.
Trials setup
Trials were conducted in two Gravina (Bari) districts (Sant’Angelo and Madonna della Stella) in 2024, using the Saragolla variety. Each plot was divided into three 5,000 m² subplots. The biostimulant’s chemical composition is in Table A.
Control plots are detailed in Table B. The biostimulant was applied via DJI Agras T30 drone in one treatment and a company atomizer in the other. Data was collected from six sub-parcels within each plot (Table C) during the vegetative cycle and harvest, focusing on the central area of each subplot.
Drone Use
Drones offer significant benefits to agriculture and precision farming, improving efficiency, sustainability, and productivity. Their agility allows operation in confined spaces. Drones provide precise nutrient application, efficient coverage of large areas, reduced time and costs compared to manual or mechanical distribution, treatment of inaccessible areas, and access to fields even with unfavorable soil conditions.
Drone Tested
The DJI Agras T30, a hexagonal drone designed for foliar treatments, was used. It features obstacle avoidance radar, RTK and GNSS-equipped remote control, a high-precision electromagnetic flow meter (2% error), and a continuous level indicator. The spraying system uses 16 nozzles with adjustable flow (3.6-8 L/min) and droplet size (130-265 μm). The XR TEE JET 10001VS fan nozzle (7.2 L/min, 130-250 μm droplets) was used.
Plant Vigor
Plant vigor, measured by plant height and spike count per square meter (Table 2), corroborated SPAD results. Improved SPAD correlated with greater vigor. Treated plots showed statistically significant vigor compared to control plot. Drone-applied biostimulant performed best, demonstrating effectiveness even at lower doses.
Table 2 also shows last node length, crucial for yield and stability. Proper length optimizes sunlight and air exposure for photosynthesis and grain development, while preventing lodging. In the collection operations, the quantitative parameters relating to the production obtained in the different theses were evaluated (Table 3). On the basis of the data obtained from the experimental activity and from a cost market survey, it was possible to establish an economic balance (Table 4) which further highlights the validity of the use of biostimulants and innovative means of distribution.
Hilly area of Gravina (Bari), in which there is obvious scarcity or lack of vegetation in the slopes.
The measured values related to the vigor of the plants are statistically significant in the theses treated compared to that recorded in the witness, in addition, the performance of Naturnova Nutriflow distributed by drone was the best.
Trial Climate
The 2024 Gravina climate was atypical. Temperatures rose from March to early April (peaking around 27°C), then dropped to around 15°C. Late May and June saw highs above 32-35°C. Rainfall was scarce. This stressed the crop, especially during peak water demand (mid-March to mid-May), resulting in poor vegetative development and, in some cases, plant desiccation. Late May rains partially recovered some productivity in certain areas.
Economic Benefits and Water Savings
Prolonged drought hampered wheat development, especially in sloping or high-altitude areas, severely impacting yields (6-15 q/ha). Despite this, the biostimulant proved effective on the lowyielding Saragolla variety, achieving respectable production. Treated plots yielded 14-23 q/ha, compared to 6-9 q/ha in control plots. Drone application further improved yields compared to the atomizer. Drone use also avoids yield loss from tractor/mixer traffic (estimated at 668 m²/ ha).
Conclusions
In conclusion, the trial highlighted three key aspects:
1) the effectiveness of leaf applications on wheat which, when carried out with specific formulation and at the appropriate times, can significantly increase yield and production quality, in particular in hot and dry years, which are now increasingly frequent;
2) the economic convenience of drone applications compared to traditional ones. Both trial theses in which the biostimulant was applied clearly allowed a higher revenue for the producer, net of the costs of the two applications but, specifically, the thesis with drones allowed a +210% and a +289% revenue per hectare compared to the control crop, respectively in the tests of the district of Sant’Angelo and the district of Madonna della Stella, compared to a +188% and + 173% of the thesis with tractor;
3) the very high eco-sustainability of the drone application that, in addition to guaranteeing enormous time and fuel savings and the possibility of distribution even in unfavourable agricultural conditions, allows to have a very high efficiency with very low water volumes, a particularly sensitive aspect in recent times, due to the increasingly reduced water availability.
Significant difference in growth between witness plants (right) and those treated with biostimulant (left).
References
This Article is meant for educational purpose only. It’s a translation and adaptation from the Italian article published by “Edizioni L’informatore agrario”, magazine “L’informatore Agrario, n.1/2025”. All rights reserved by the aforementioned publishing house, in accordance with the Law on Copyright and its subsequent amendments. Any use of this work for uses other than personal and private is strictly prohibited.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE (ITALIAN)
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ilsa-group-spa_da-linformatore-agrario-1-2025-ilsamin-n90-activity-7294696417334353921-5Qxc?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAbrnF4BiXMJegYFDVtfqHcN758ZvIkJ8j8
Zina Flagella (2006) – Qualità nutrizionale e tecnologica del frumento duro. Ital. J. Agron./ Riv. Agron., 1: 203-239.
M. Marchini, S. Folloni, C. Piazza, E. Anchisi, L. Lucini (2022) – Utilizzo di biostimolanti per la produzione di frumento biologico sostenibile e di qualità in Emilia-Romagna. BettER-Bio – Atti del 12° Convegno Aistec Cereali e Scienza: resilienza, sostenibilità e innovazione 15-17 giugno 2022 -Dipartimento di Agraria, Università degli studi di Napoli Federico II Reggia di Portici – Portici (NA).
