Case studies by crop · Permanent crops

Vineyards in Romania (Agras T50)

DJI Agriculture case study, collected by FLYDROPS.

On a sloped vineyard in Romania, the owner could not get in with the tractor because the ground had softened after rain. He called a DJI dealer and the spraying was done with an Agras T50 in 2.5 hours instead of 3–4 days.

The traditional method with a tractor and sprayer.

At a glance

Location	Sloped vineyard, Romania (July temperature 21.5–22 °C)
Crop	Grapevine
Drone	DJI Agras T50 (2024 spraying season)
Operator	DJI Agriculture dealer Drone Box, as a service
Operation time	2.5 hours

The study uses the T50, an earlier generation. The current range is DJI Agras T100, T70P, T55 and T25P; find which one fits your acreage or compare the models.

The challenge

The slope makes the tractor difficult to use, especially after rain. Spraying needs a lot of water and the source was far from the slopes, and spraying at night was not an option. Without a drone, spraying the whole vineyard took 3–4 days and manual labour.

The route is planned on the controller and the flight is automatic.

What was done

The owner learned about the drones at a trade show and, when his tractor could not get through, handed the spraying to Drone Box. The Agras T50 was used for the whole 2024 spraying season, in automatic mode with terrain following for the slopes.

Flight parameters:

spray volume 50–90 L/ha,
droplet size 70–250 µm,
speed 22 km/h,
route spacing 4 m,
height above the crop 2.5–3 m.

The results

Measure	Before	With drone
Spraying time	3–4 days	2.5 hours
Labour cost	€320	€80
Product volume per application	241.6 L/kg	111.8 L/kg

The numbers come from the study and relate to that specific application.

The study reports an application cost reduction of up to 70%. It does not give the size of the vineyard, so the numbers cannot be compared directly with your own vines. The owner plans to buy his own drone or keep outsourcing all the spraying.

What it means for Greece

Vines are among the most widespread crops in Greece and many are on slopes and terraces, where the tractor struggles, especially after rain. Romania has a similar climate and the same EU framework. The question for you: how many days an application takes today, and what happens when rain closes the window.

Also see vines with a small drone on steep slopes (Aosta) and the study from Switzerland.

Rules and responsibilities

In Greece, applying plant protection products from the air, drones included, is prohibited as a rule and allowed only by derogation with a special permit. The study shows what happened in another country; it does not mean the same application is allowed in Greece. The product label always applies, and we do not repeat doses or products here. See the framework in the spraying drone buying guide and confirm it with the competent authority.