Task-Oriented UAV Applications in Agro-Forestry and Livestock Systems

Dear Colleagues,

The fast growth of unmanned aerial systems is changing how we manage agriculture, forestry, and livestock, going from passive monitoring to active, task-oriented operations. These technologies make it possible to make precise changes, automate tasks, and make decisions based on data, which makes complex production systems more productive, sustainable, and resilient.

The aim of this Special Issue is to gather original research articles and review papers to give insights about development, validation, and operational deployment of task-oriented UAV systems, in accordance with the journal's emphasis on drone technologies and real-world practical applications. We welcome manuscripts on the design of new task-oriented UAVs, mission-driven design, field testing, aerial operations, advanced monitoring, targeted livestock surveillance and management operations, and UAV-assisted operations in agro-energy infrastructures.

This Special Issue will welcome manuscripts that link the following themes:

• Design and development of task-oriented UAV platforms for agro-forestry systems;
• Mission-driven UAV engineering for agro-forestry systems;
• Field testing and performance validation of UAV operations;
• Aerial spraying, seeding, nutrient spreading, and precision intervention technologies;
• Autonomous and semi-autonomous UAV operations in agro-forestry and livestock systems;
• UAV-based livestock surveillance and active herd management tasks;
• Operational UAV applications in forestry management;
• Biomass assessment and UAV-supported handling operations;
• UAV-assisted operations in agro-energy and bioenergy infrastructures;
• Sensor, AI, and decision-support system integration for task-oriented UAVs in agro-forestry and livestock applications;
• Payload integration and customization for agricultural UAV missions;
• Flight control systems and mission planning for agricultural UAV operations;
• Development and optimization of aerial mechanisms for agro-forestry systems;
• Power systems, energy efficiency, and endurance optimization for UAV operations in agro-forestry systems;
• Field validation protocols and performance benchmarking of UAV systems;
• Autonomous UAV logistics system optimization: path planning, routing, swarm coordination, and last-mile operations in agro-forestry systems.

We look forward to receiving your original research articles and reviews.

Dr. Daniele Sarri
Prof. Dr. Gabriel Araújo e Silva Ferraz
Dr. Andrea Pagliai
Dr. Pengchao Chen
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Drones is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.