• Senegal’s Plant Protection Directorate receives six new-generation drones.
• The equipment improves surveillance and phytosanitary operations with faster, safer interventions.
• Drones support efforts to curb major pests, including fall armyworm and fruit fly.

In Senegal, the Plant Protection Directorate (DPV) received six “new-generation” drones for surveillance and phytosanitary operations on November 14.

This is the first time the DPV has used drones in its plant protection strategy. According to the authorities, this new direction reflects an effort to modernize pest control tools in the agricultural sector.

In a statement published on its website, the Ministry of Agriculture explains that the drones, which can treat 25 hectares of farmland per hour, will help the institution responsible since 1974 for crop monitoring and phytosanitary control gain speed and precision in its operations.

The DPV says this technology will also reduce staff exposure to phytosanitary products, improve response time, and enhance the quality of field operations. “This progress was made possible through a strategic partnership with the Air Force, led by Colonel Ousmane Ngom, which trained a first team of remote pilots and technicians able to operate these sophisticated devices,” the statement says.

In Senegal, the search for efficiency in phytosanitary control is crucial, as pests pose a constant threat to food security. In its 2023 annual report, the DPV noted that fall armyworm, detected for the first time in the country in 2018, continues to spread gradually from one department to another and targets maize crops in particular.

According to the FAO, this pest causes the loss of about 18 million tons of maize per year in Africa. Other high-impact pests monitored by the DPV include locusts, blister beetles, and fruit fly, which has been a major concern for the mango sector for several years.