Case studies by crop · Arable

Wheat in Romania (Agras T30)

DJI Agriculture case study, collected by FLYDROPS.

On a 2,300-hectare farm in Satu Mare County, Romania, an agronomist tried the Agras T30 for herbicide application in wheat instead of a tractor. In the first season he treated 215.6 hectares.

At a glance

Location	Satu Mare County, Romania (Acâș)
Crop	Wheat
Drone	DJI Agras T30
Application	Herbicide application, 30 March 2024
First-season area	215.61 hectares
Operator	Riagro team, with agronomist Sebastian Emanuel Suth

The study uses the T30, 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

Romania has large areas of wheat and growers struggle with weeds that threaten yield. Until then they sprayed with tractors, and the study records three problems:

Wheel-track damage: a yield loss of about 5–7%, or €55–83 per hectare per season.
Time: about 40 hectares a day.
Water: 200–300 litres per hectare, a problem where water is scarce.

What was done

The application was an automatic flight of the Agras T30, after route planning and mapping of the field. For herbicides, the study gives these flight parameters for the T30:

spray volume 12–20 L/ha,
speed 18–20 km/h,
route spacing 5.5–6 m,
height above the crop 2.2–2.5 m.

For herbicides it recommends lower speed, narrower route spacing and larger droplets, because uniformity matters more and the drift risk is higher.

The results

Measure	Tractor	Drone
Daily coverage	40 ha	80 ha
Water per hectare	200–300 L	10–20 L
Wheel-track damage	5–7% of yield	None
Start after rain	—	1–2 hours after
Fuel cost	—	€0.6–0.7/ha (about 80% less than the tractor, per the study)

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

The agronomist said he plans to use drones exclusively for spraying across all crops on the farm, for better coverage and lower cost. The study also suggests trying much lower doses; in the EU, however, the dose is set by the product label and does not change.

What it means for Greece

Wheat is one of the main arable crops in Greece too, with large areas in Thessaly, Macedonia and Thrace. Romania is a neighbouring EU country, so the question is practical: how much damage the tractor does in your own field, how much water you need and what happens after rain. The numbers above come from one farm and are no guarantee for others.

You may also be interested in the wheat study with the Agras T16.

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.