Flax stem quality assessment using unmanned aerial vehicles

As a result of the war, the economy of Ukraine created conditions that require innovative solutions in agricultural production. For example, there was an urgent need to use the cultivated areas of the northern and western parts of Ukraine for crops that were traditionally grown only in the southern regions of the country. Modernization and implementation of innovative technologies in the agro-industrial complex will contribute to the successful and rapid recovery of the economy of Ukraine. Unmanned aerial vehicles are an integral part of modern technologies that can be used in agriculture. It is proposed to use unmanned aerial vehicles to evaluate the quality indicators of the stem of linseed and fibre flax. Flax is of great practical value as its crop is used extensively in the food and non-food industries. The amount of flax grown in the world is increasing every year. The technique of using unmanned aerial vehicles can be based on the monitoring and analysis of the colour characteristics of the flax stem obtained with the help of photographic equipment. In order to implement the method of assessing quality indicators of flax with the help of unmanned aerial vehicles, it is necessary to create calibration tables of colour characteristics of plants depending on the ripening phase, length and moisture content of stems, as well as fibre content. The application of the method of flax stem quality assessment with the use of unmanned aerial vehicles allows to: obtain data for detailed on-line monitoring of the condition of linseed and fibre flax crops; select with high accuracy a rational technology of flax processing taking into account the qualitative and quantitative indicators of the flax stem and achieve high efficiency of using all the biological potential of this crop. The proposed method of crop condition assessment is universal and can be used by agro-industrial enterprises and farms for research of other agricultural crops.