Remarks on the use of drones and data in precision agriculture. (L'Accademia per il post Covid-19.)

ABSTRACT

Precision agriculture is certainly one of the most interesting innovation for the management of agricultural crops. Drones, SAPRs, can be easily used for a targeted distribution of production inputs, such as plant protection products, fertilizers and biological protection, pollution reduction, dispersion and tracking the use of products. The article examines the regulatory aspects that hinder the spread of this practice and the possibility of making full use of the benefits and describes - the provisions currently in force that prohibit the spraying of plant protection products by air, except for exceptions, with complex and highly limiting procedures (regional and ministry opinion). - the difficulties of monitoring and collecting data that can be used by the individual farmer to make choices within business context, but can also be used by consultants or transferred to platforms and clouds on the web. - aspects related to the protection, exchange and in particular the ownership of non-personal data relating to agricultural activity. The article concludes that, faced to the initiatives aimed at advancing precision agriculture and the digitization of the agricultural sector, it is necessary to address, in the appropriate institutional settings, the regulatory and legal elements that hinder the diffusion of innovations in support sustainable use of resources.