XAG has teamed up with PIX4D to release a new prescription map feature for its agricultural drones, making variable-rate application (VRA) effortless on farm. This feature enables users to create prescription maps for crop protection, fertilizer spread and seeding using PIX4Dfields, compatible with XAG's agricultural drones. 

XAG P100 Pro Agricultural Drone using prescription maps for variable-rate spraying

Drone has become the pivotal technology in precision farming, delivering significant savings in time and resources. The XAG Agricultural Drone is specifically designed for spraying, spreading and field mapping, which handles repetitive tasks autonomously and can be easily controlled via a smartphone.

The XAG One App gives intuitive access to the drone's variable-rate operations. It automatically plans the optimal route according to field boundaries, obstacles, and no-spray zones, instructing the drone to operate on a pre-defined path. Previously, users can draw prescription maps in the app by manually allocating different dose of inputs to targeted zones without needing additional software.

XAG One App enables users to control drones with a just smartphone

Now with the new export format from PIX4Dfields, XAG drones can also seamlessly interpret VRA prescription maps to optimize crop yields and reduce agricultural inputs. The drone is able to adapt application rates in-flight based on crop health data, ensuring that specific areas of a field receive the precise amount of pesticides, fertilizers or growth regulator needed. This helps farmers manage pests and diseases more cost-effectively while minimizing environmental impacts.

XAG agricultural drones now support prescription maps from PIX4Dfields, the hybrid drone and satellite mapping software for aerial crop analysis and precision agriculture.

Learn more about PIX4Dfields：

https://www.pix4d.com/blog/pix4dfields-xag-prescriptions-AI-report/

This standout new feature also elevates the operational efficiency of agricultural drones. Based on the prescription maps created in PIX4Dfields, the XAG drone can adjust its flight path and skip areas that do not require application. It autonomously navigates a pre-defined route, targeting only the zones that need treatment.

Intelligent route planning on XAG One App reduces flight time and avoids unnecessary coverage

The XAG SuperX Farm, located in Guangzhou, China, pioneers the use of drones, robots and AI for automated rice farming. Its paddy fields are cultivated and harvested by autopilot tractors, while drones manage direct seeding, fertilizer spreading, and crop spraying. Using prescription maps, the farm has applied XAG drones for variable-rate fertilization tailored to the crop stress levels, resulting in an approximate 20%* increase in yield compared with indiscriminate spreading.

HD field maps show that rice growth in SuperX Farm was more uniform using XAG prescription maps for fertilizer spreading

Traditionally, farmers applied crop protection treatments across the entire fields, whether using tractors, sprayers or drones, whereas often leading to unnecessary coverage and increased production costs. With the introduction of XAG prescription maps, farmers now have a more powerful tool to boost yields and reduce waste, driving sustainability in agricultural practices.

*This data is for reference only. The specific output may vary depending on the working environment, user habits and other factors.