Agricultural Drone Service NINJA LINKSS NINJA LINKSS, an agricultural drone service provider, began using drones to apply fertilizer as a countermeasure against the extremely hot summer!

High temperatures cause "one-shot fertilizers to run out of effect," and drone fertilization responds to this problem to stabilize yield and quality.

2025.07.25 10:00

株式会社NINJA LINKSS

NINJA LINKSS, a nationwide agricultural drone service, has launched a new service to mitigate the impact of extreme heat on rice paddies: fertilizer application by drone. Until now, NinjaLinks has provided spraying services mainly for fungicidal and insecticidal control, but with extreme heat waves becoming the norm due to climate change, the company is expanding its services by focusing on the importance of fertilizer application as a countermeasure against extreme heat.

▼ For inquiries, please contact us at

https://ninjalinkss.jp/pest-control/

農地　水稲

Farmland Paddy rice

[Reasons why fertilizer is needed in extremely hot weather

The recent record-breaking heat wave has had a tremendous impact on the growth of paddy rice. Continued high temperatures make rice plants more susceptible to the following conditions.

■ Premature leaching of one-shot fertilizers and loss of fertilizer efficacy

One-shot fertilizers, widely used in rice cultivation, are designed to remain effective until the harvest season with a single application. However, when the extremely hot summer continues, microorganisms in the soil become more active, and the decomposition and leaching of fertilizers accelerate. As a result, fertilizer components that are supposed to remain effective until harvest time are lost early, resulting in a nutrient deficiency in the latter half of rice growth.

Reduced Photosynthetic Capacity and Poor Ripening

High temperature stress reduces the photosynthetic capacity of rice plants and prevents them from absorbing and translocating sufficient nutrients during the ripening period, the time of harvest. This inhibits the fullness of rice grains, leading to a decrease in yield and quality.

■Decrease in root vigor and inhibition of nutrient absorption

High temperatures can affect microbial activity in the soil and reduce root vitality. This results in inefficient absorption of nutrients such as nitrogen and potassium needed by rice plants, leading to poor growth.

■ Accelerated leaf senescence

Extreme heat can reduce the physiological functions of leaves and cause premature aging. Failure to maintain healthy leaves can result in stagnation of nutrient production through photosynthesis, and consequently, stagnation of overall rice growth.

Fertilizer application under these conditions is critical to improve the nutritional status of the rice plant and reduce damage caused by the extreme heat. Particularly when there is concern that one-shot fertilizers may run out of efficacy, supplementing the often deficient nutrients with additional fertilizer will help maintain photosynthetic capacity, restore root vigor, and promote healthy crop growth and ripening, thereby ensuring yield and quality.

Spraying site and education for pilots

NINJA LINKSS takes advantage of the high mobility and precision spraying technology of agricultural drones to enable efficient and uniform fertilizer application even over large areas of fields, or pinpoint application to where it is needed, such as variable fertilizer application (sensing and Zarubio are available for an additional fee). This will reduce the risks faced by farmers due to extreme heat and support stable rice production.

散布現場とパイロットの教育