Farm Management in Mountainous Regions Using Drone Technology

Hort Augustin, a Romanian farmer from Halmasu, Bistrița-Năsăud County, manages a 15-hectare family farm with 17 Romanian Bălțaș cows for milk production. Facing frequent human-wolf conflicts in mountainous and submontane regions, he uses a state-of-the-art drone for real-time aerial monitoring. The drone enhances herd surveillance, enables rapid threat detection, and reduces reliance on on-foot or vehicle patrols, improving response times. This innovation supports efficient pasture management, minimizes livestock losses due to predation and overgrazing, and demonstrates adaptive farming in the face of climate change and market pressures. The solution is cost-effective, scalable, and exemplifies sustainable agricultural resilience through technology adoption.