articleSustainabilityJan 4, 2026GOLD OA

A Review of Drones in Smart Agriculture: Issues, Models, Trends, and Challenges

JGJavier Gamboa-CruzadoJEJhon Estrada-GutierrezCBCesar Bustos-RomeroCACristina Alzamora RiveroJNJorge Nolasco Valenzuela

Federico Villarreal National University · Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola · +3 more institutions

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Abstract

This systematic literature review examines the rapid growth of research on the use of drones applied to smart agriculture, a key field for the digital and sustainable transformation of the agricultural sector. The study aimed to synthesize the current state of knowledge regarding the application of drones in smart agriculture by applying the Kitchenham protocol (SLR), complemented with Petersen’s systematic mapping (SMS). A search was conducted in high-impact academic databases (Scopus, IEEE Xplore, Taylor & Francis Online, Google Scholar, and ProQuest), covering the period 2019–2025 (July). After applying the inclusion, exclusion, and quality criteria, 73 relevant studies were analyzed. The results reveal…

Citation impact

4
total citations
FWCI
52.95
Percentile
99%
References
104
Too recent for citation history.

Authors

8

Topics & keywords

Topics
Keywords
  • Drone
  • Thematic map
  • Agriculture
  • China
  • Sustainable development
  • Emerging technologies
  • Field (mathematics)
  • Commercialization
UN Sustainable Development Goals
  • Zero hunger
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