Work

A bibliometric-driven roadmap of agricultural drone research and future technological convergence

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: This study presents a comprehensive 25-year (1999–2024) bibliometric and thematic review of agricultural drone research, encompassing over 20,000 agriculture-specific publications from Scopus, Elsevier, Springer, and IEEE Xplore. Research output has grown at a striking 33.1% CAGR, led by China (720 papers) and the USA (15,384 citations). VOSviewer mapping identifies five dominant clusters: precision agriculture, remote sensing, AI integration, spraying systems, and swarm/IoT technologies. We benchmark drones against satellite and ground IoT systems, quantify their unique advantages and limitations, and project approximately 15,500 agriculture-specific papers by 2030. By integrating technical fundamentals, rigorous bibliometric insights, cross-technology comparisons, and farmer-focused interface recommendations, this work provides an actionable roadmap for accelerating the adoption of affordable and accessible drones worldwide.

Source: Discover Sustainability

DOI: 10.1007/s43621-026-02648-5

Authors: Siddharth Singh Chouhan, Rajneesh Kumar Patel, Anju Shukla, Ankur Pandey, Uday Pratap Singh

Institutions: VIT Bhopal University, Manipal University Jaipur, Central University of Jammu

Language: English

Topic: Smart Agriculture and AI

Subfield: Plant Science

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Domain: Life Sciences

SDGs: Zero hunger, Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,390