UAVs in Agriculture: A Review of Challenges, Limitations, Stakeholder Perspectives, and Data Privacy

Abstract

The agriculture sector continuously attracts a wide range of technologies, making it one of the oldest yet most rapidly evolving Industries. While technological integration has brought significant advancements in agriculture. Among these, remote sensing has emerged as a powerful tool due to its ability to monitor and manage crops over large areas across different spatial, spectral, and temporal resolutions. However, its adoption is often hindered by issues related to cost, complexity, and contextual adaptability. Many tools still face limitations and unique challenges when applied in agricultural contexts. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), a prominent example of modern remote sensing technologies, have enabled the collection of very-high-resolution data at the field level, offering new insights into crop health, yield forecasting, and precision management. Despite their potential, UAVs face several operational challenges, including limited flight time, weather dependency, regulatory constraints, data storage limitations, and the need for skilled personnel for both operation and analysis. This review article critically examines the current challenges associated with UAV-based remote sensing in agriculture, drawing upon recent peer-reviewed literature. It provides a consolidated understanding of the technological, operational, and institutional barriers.