Adieu, scarecrow? Farming communities turn to drones amid demographic, climactic challenges.

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Adieu, scarecrow? Farming communities turn to drones amid demographic, climactic challenges.

Published: 18 Aug. 2025, 07:00

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

A sparrow-repellent drone developed by the Chungcheongnam-do Agricultural Research & Extension Services [CHUNGCHEONGNAM-DO AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH & EXTENSION SERVICES]

Drones are transforming agriculture, and regional officials are scrambling to make the most of the latest technologies amid a dwindling population and worsening climate conditions.

In addition to spraying pesticides, drones can now monitor for signs of heat exhaustion and scare away birds more effectively than scarecrows. As rural populations shrink due to aging and low birthrates, drones have become invaluable tools — even aiding in tasks such as exterminating hornets.

One city leading in such efforts is Jeongeup, North Jeolla.

Jeongeup City has deployed a drone patrol team to protect farmers vulnerable to heat-related illnesses during the summer. The initiative began in late July and will run through September. The patrol team consists of eight young farmers from the Jeongeup 4-H Federation, who rotate shifts daily between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. to monitor rice paddies and outdoor work sites.

At around 3 p.m. on Aug. 13, a drone launched into the sky with a sharp buzzing sound from Bakdong Village Hall in Taein-myeon, Jeongeup, as the team demonstrated its work to the JoongAng Ilbo.

Operated by 26-year-old Choi Hyeon-seung, the drone was equipped with a thermal imaging camera and a speaker. As it flew over the fields, the monitor displayed real-time perceived temperatures of nearby individuals, while the speaker broadcast: “This is Jeongeup’s drone patrol for heat illness prevention. If you feel unwell, please wave your hand to request assistance.”

Choi Hyeon-seung from the Jeongeup drone patrol team monitors a field in Jeongeup, North Jeolla, on Aug. 13. [KIM JUN-HEE]

Temperatures in Jeongeup hit a high of 31.5 degrees Celsius (88.7 degrees Fahrenheit) that day under a heat advisory. Using the drone’s 112x zoom camera, Choi spotted an older woman working alone in a nearby sesame field. Fortunately, there was no emergency.

“Most farmers are older and often don’t realize how long they’ve been working,” Choi said. “When they hear the warning from the drone, many stop working. If we detect any abnormal signs, we respond immediately and alert 119 or other agencies.”

Lee Hwa-jeong, an official at Jeongeup’s regional government, said drones are handy for covering blind spots.

“If someone collapses while pulling weeds in their backyard or garden, they might not be found in time. That’s why we focus drone patrols on hard-to-reach areas,” Lee said. “As extreme heat days increase due to climate change, Jeongeup plans to expand digital technologies in disaster response.”

Other rural governments are also racing to make the best of drones for diverse purposes.

Thermal data of the area is monitored using a drone developed by Jeongeup in North Jeolla. [KIM JUN-HEE]

In South Chungcheong, a drone that scares off sparrows with sound has been developed. The provincial agricultural research center recently introduced a model that emits high-frequency noise above 20,000 hertz — inaudible to humans but highly irritating to birds.

"To human ears, the sound would resemble a series of high-pitched squeals or repetitive mechanical noises, though we cannot hear it," said Yoon Yeo-tae, a rice research team leader.

On Aug. 7, the drone was tested at a rice field in Cheongso-myeon, Boryeong. The rice variety there, which matures between late July and early August, provided a suitable test bed. Flying at speeds up to 54 kilometers (33.6 miles) per hour, the drone emitted the deterrent noise over a 10-kilometer radius. When the battery ran low, it returned to a station to recharge and automatically resumed flight when fully charged. Farmers can operate the drone using a mobile app.

Farmers hope this innovation will finally help them deal with the stress of sparrow invasions. Ripening rice fields are prime targets, and traditional deterrents — scarecrows, reflective tape, nets, firecrackers, even lasers — often prove ineffective.

Busan demonstrates its smart farming technology using drones on May 14. [SONG BONG-GEUN]

“With this drone, we expect not only to reduce crop damage and labor demands but also ease the mental burden on farmers,” said an official from the provincial research center. However, the drone costs more than 30 million won ($22,000), which may be too expensive for individual farmers for now.

However, the flying machines are helpful for the government.

The city of Dangjin in South Chungcheong plans to deploy drones to eliminate hornets that attack beekeeping operations. Dangjin was recently selected in the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s third round of drone deregulation zone designations. In these zones, six major regulations — including flight approval and safety certification — are waived or simplified.

Hornets are known to prey on honeybees and damage apiaries. The drones used in Dangjin remotely fire projectiles made from corn starch to puncture hornet nests, then spray insecticide inside.

More local governments are turning to drones for pesticide application as well. Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang, has been using drones since mid-July to spray rice paddies across 2,300 hectares.

A visitor tries an agricultural drone at a tech fair held on July 16 in Coex, southern Seoul. [NEWS1]

“Drones can complete the job 10 times faster than manual spraying,” said a Gimcheon official.

Jincheon County in North Chungcheong has also adopted drones and unmanned helicopters to carry out joint pest control efforts across 2,726 farms covering 2,875 hectares, in response to labor shortages caused by rural aging.

“Given how labor-intensive farming has become due to Korea’s aging rural population, local governments and farmers are rushing to adopt drones,” said Yang Myong-kyoon, a professor of bio-industrial mechanical engineering at Chonbuk National University. “If drones could be rented like agricultural machinery through local governments, they could be used more widely and cost-effectively.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM BANG-HYUN, KIM JUN-HEE [[email protected]]