The cultivation of herbs offers the possibility of using new techniques to solve problems encountered in the production of medicinal plants. Medicinal and aromatic plants do not have requirements but need monitoring and care at various stages of development.
For the most part, these plants are cultivated organically without the use of chemicals and pesticides. However, despite their common organic cultivation, they show great variation regarding the species, the environmental/climatic conditions, the age of the plant, the cultivation practices applied, and the harvesting period.
The use of new technologies is a key ally for Greek herbs used in pharmaceuticals, such as echinacea, calendula, sage, lavender, St. John’s Wort, etc.
Applications were carried out in Agrinio and Alexandria (Imathia) in the cultivation of echinacea with biostimulants and amino acids during the drought of the summer months.
In herb cultivations in general, TTAviation drones are used for the following:
- Foliar applications using drones with organic fertilizers and biostimulants during the growth and flowering stages,
- Fertilization with solid soil improvers per hectare,
- Post-harvest spraying to increase resistance to factors such as high temperatures, with the aim of minimizing losses and protecting the plants,
- Land surveying and mapping of the application area,
- Planting design linearly and sowing.
The results of the applications offer:
- Accuracy during application,
- Water usage economy,
- Increased production and product improvement,
- Reduction of intervention time by up to 50%.
Andreas Schizas
Forester-Environmentalist
Organic Herb Cultivator