Sumathi Information Technologies advances with industrial drones to uplift local agri sector

Sumathi Information Technologies (SiT), a subsidiary of Sumathi Holdings, has now ventured further paving the way to provide feasible and efficient solutions for agriculture in Sri Lanka.   

SiT initiated global positioning systems through hand-held devices in 1994 and since then has evolved exponentially, specialising and providing enterprise-level global positioning systems, geographic information systems and communication solutions to government agencies and other leading business organisations in the country. The SiT team works meticulously striving to create applications that meet the overall strategy of their clients. 

This business venture of SiT, being the first to test and implement industrial drones in construction, irrigation and military tasks as well as the pioneers to introduce anti-drone technology and counter measures for the security forces, focuses on revolutionising key industries in Sri Lanka with special emphasis on the agriculture industry, having successfully launched agricultural spraying services islandwide.  Having entered into a partnership in 2017 with Dà-Jing Innovations (better known as DJI), the world’s leading drone manufacturer in China, SiT and Retail IT (a supporting arm of Sumathi Holdings) were able to further enhance their geographic information solutions (GIS). 
The use of drone technology in the agriculture sector will vastly benefit the industry by enabling treatment from above for crops as high as 30 meters or even for infant and maturing crops at ground level. The footage will provide high-quality zone maps for future reference and crop planning. 

Remote monitoring of crops and livestock plus targeted nutrient or pesticide applications with the generation of variable rate prescriptions will help to decrease inputs and maximise profits. The health of the crops can be assessed accurately using NDVI technology developed by NASA to process photos in a way that helps the human eye better visualise plant health. This will eliminate false-colour mapping and reduce wastage. The crops can be managed better and safeguarded by the timely detection of weeds, diseases and pests.  

Commenting on the partnership, Sumathi Information Technologies Executive Director Chadu Sumathipala stated, “We are very pleased to make advancements with new technology and approaches. Times have changed drastically over the last decade and we need to look at embracing new technologies to strategically drive our industries to achieve maximum output. The use of drone technology will help to increase productivity and utilise resources in an effective manner to yield higher profits.”