Students from Jiangsu Agri-Animal Husbandry Vocational College demonstrate how to operate a done in Zhangdian town, Jiangyan district, Taizhou. [Photo/ourjiangsu.com]

A practice team from Jiangsu Agri-Animal Husbandry Vocational College visited Zhangdian town in Jiangyan district, Taizhou, to deliver hands-on training in agricultural drone operation from Aug 28 to Sept 2.

"Push the left stick for altitude and direction, and the right one for forward and sideways — it's just like driving a tractor!" said a team member, demonstrating with a controller while offering commentary in the local dialect. More than 30 farmers gathered around, their eyes fixed on the real-time footage transmitted by the drone.

The training covered common issues like payload capacity, parameter settings, and performance in challenging terrain.

"In the past, I carried a sprayer on my back. With drones, I can cover several times more land in a single day, saving chemicals and labor," said farmer Wang Huamin after a trial run. Field tests showed the drones achieved 92 percent spray uniformity, reduced chemical use by over 30 percent, and allowed chemicals to reach crop roots with precision.

A farmer tries his hand at operating a drone. [Photo/ourjiangsu.com]

To further assist farmers, the team created an illustrated drone manual that simplifies complex operations with comic-style visuals. They also plan to set up a support system where each member provides ongoing help to 10 farmers through online consultations and monthly visits.