Mycotoxins represent one of the most critical challenges facing modern agriculture and food chain safety. Driven by climate change, extreme weather events—such as excessive precipitation during anthesis or prolonged summer droughts—exacerbate the spread of fungal infections and the production of toxins in our primary arable crops: wheat and maize. Furthermore, the consumption of crops and food products contaminated with mycotoxins can cause severe health damage; therefore, managing and mitigating these risks is of fundamental importance.

Although mycotoxins are often treated merely as an agricultural issue, history and modern medicine demonstrate their terrifying impact: aflatoxin produced by Aspergillus caused the most severe documented mycotoxin poisoning in history in Kenya, leading to the deaths of over a hundred people due to the consumption of contaminated maize. Furthermore, T-2 toxin produced by Fusarium was utilized as a biological weapon (known as “Yellow Rain”) during the Cold War owing to its extremely destructive power. As these fungi and their toxins can cause fatal organ failure, malignant tumors, or deadly lung infections, combating them is not only an economic necessity but a life-saving mission. In this defense, targeted drone application becomes crucial, enabling immediate intervention directly at the infection hotspots—even in hard-to-access, waterlogged, or tall crops—thereby preventing deadly toxins from entering the food chain.