Tally WildDrone crop spraying
A spray drone flies a few feet above the crop and puts product exactly where it's needed. No wheel tracks, no waiting for a wet field to dry out, and no knocking down tall corn. It reaches the hillsides, waterways and odd corners a ground rig can't.
Free. See the three closest pilots and message one. Drone pilot? Get on the map.
Why farmers are adding spray drones
Drones don't replace every ground rig, but they fill the gaps where a sprayer can't go or can't go in time. Purdue Extension lists the main reasons farmers are interested: wet fields, hilly ground, no wheel-track damage and better timing.
Spray when the field is wet
Rain doesn't have to stop the job. A drone sprays when the soil is too soft for ground equipment, so a fungicide or insecticide pass happens on time instead of a week late.
No wheel tracks
A drone never touches the crop. Purdue research found sprayer wheel tracks cost soybean fields about 1–5% of yield, depending on boom width.
Tall corn and full canopies
Fungicide at tassel and silking means driving through head-high corn. A drone flies over it, with no broken stalks and no rutted rows.
Hills, waterways and odd corners
Steep slopes, terraces, grass waterways, small or odd-shaped fields and field edges near tree lines are all reachable from the air, without putting an operator on a dangerous hillside.
Spot and zone spraying
Load a prescription map from a crop analysis flight and spray only the weedy or diseased areas. In an Iowa State demo that cut product about in half.
Fast to start, easy to move
A drone sets up at the field edge and moves between farms on a trailer. It's a good fit for small acreage, pasture weed control, and fields an airplane or ground rig won't take.
What the research shows
Spray drones are newer than ground rigs and airplanes, and universities are still testing them. Results so far are encouraging when the drone is set up and flown correctly.
less herbicide in an Iowa State demonstration where a drone-made weed map told the sprayer where to spray, saving about $13 an acre with weed control and yield matching a broadcast pass.
Iowa State University Extension, 2024of soybean yield lost to sprayer wheel tracks in Purdue research, more with narrower booms. A drone leaves no tracks.
Purdue Extension SPS-103-Wdisease control and yield from drone and ground fungicide passes on Kentucky corn, with the drone putting more spray on the ear leaf.
University of Kentucky, 2025 (preliminary, low disease year)How a drone spray job works
Find a pilot
Search your zip code on the map and message a spray pilot about the field, crop, product and timing.
Plan the job
The pilot maps the field, checks the product label allows aerial application, and plans the rate, swath and flight height.
Spray the field
The drone flies set lines, refilling at the field edge. Wind and weather are checked so product stays on target.
Get the record
You get the spray record: date, product, rate, acres and the map of what was covered.
Where a spray drone pays off
- Fungicide on tall corn at tassel and silking, without driving through it
- Fields that are too wet to carry a ground rig when the spray window is open
- Hillsides, terraces, waterways and field edges
- Spot or zone spraying from a weed or crop health map
- Small, odd-shaped or tree-lined fields an airplane won't take
- Pastures, hay ground, fence rows and weed patches
- Cover crop seeding and spreading granular products (where the drone and label allow)
Spray drone pilots near you
Pilots on the map who offer drone crop spraying cover farms, pastures and specialty crops in their area. Search for pilots in Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, Indiana, Wisconsin and Virginia and across the US.
Drone spraying questions
Is drone spraying as good as a ground sprayer?
For many jobs, yes. University of Kentucky trials on corn found similar disease control and yield from drone and ground fungicide passes, though coverage depends on flight height, speed, swath width and wind. A good pilot tests and adjusts the setup.
Does a drone save money on chemicals?
A drone sprays the same rate per acre as the label calls for. The savings come from spraying only where it's needed: with a weed or crop health map, an Iowa State demonstration cut herbicide about in half. You also avoid yield lost to wheel tracks and the cost of a late application.
Can a drone spray a wet field?
Yes. It never touches the ground, so it can spray when the soil is too soft for a ground rig. That's one of the main reasons farmers use them.
How many acres can a spray drone cover?
It depends on the drone, the rate, the field shape and how far the pilot has to fly to refill. Large spray drones can cover dozens of acres an hour in good conditions. Ask your pilot what they can do in a day for your fields.
What about drift?
Drones fly close to the crop, but drift still depends on wind, droplet size and height. Pilots follow the label and check wind before and during the job.
What licenses does a spray drone pilot need?
An FAA Part 107 certificate, an FAA Part 137 agricultural aircraft operator certificate, an FAA exemption for the aircraft, and a state pesticide applicator license. The product label must also allow aerial application.
Sources: Purdue Extension: interest in spray drones · Purdue SPS-103-W: wheel track losses · Iowa State: drone weed maps for targeted spraying, 2024 · University of Kentucky: drone fungicide study, 2025 · NMSU B-832: spray drone regulations, 2026
Run a spray drone? Get found by farmers
Farmers search the Find a Pilot map by zip code. List your spray services for $100 a year, or free with a Tally Wild subscription, and get their messages by email.