Changwon City, sudden pests and diseases in persimmon orchards swiftly addressed with 'drone pest control'.

(Changwon=Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Sun-kyung = Changwon City, Gyeongnam, announced on the 5th that it will use drone pest control to swiftly respond to the sudden outbreaks of diseases and pests occurring continuously in persimmon farms due to abnormal climate. Persimmon orchards are often located in mountainous areas with steep slopes. Because of this, some farms, which are facing issues of aging populations and labor shortages, are giving up on pest control. To solve these problems, the city is introducing drone pest control technology to persimmon farms. The city will spend a total of 50 million won this year to support drone pest control fees for persimmon crop associations and corporations. The target orchards will be selected by next month, and pest control activities will be fully implemented in connection with special inspections for sudden invasive pests from April to June. Gang Jong-sun, Director of the Agricultural Technology Center, said, "We will do our best to realize precision agriculture centered on smart technology, so that Changwon persimmons can secure global competitiveness." ksk@yna.co.kr