How to Use Drones for Crop Spraying: 7 Steps With Costs

To use drones for crop spraying in the US, you need an FAA Remote Pilot Certificate (Part 107), a registered drone, an FAA exemption and a Part 137 agricultural aircraft operator certificate, plus a state pesticide applicator license with an aerial category where your state requires one. Then you calibrate the drone to the rate on the pesticide label, plan the flight and spray in low wind. US spray drones treated about 16.4 million acres in 2025, according to the American Spray Drone Coalition 2025 impact survey.

This guide walks through how to use drones for crop spraying in seven steps. It covers the federal and state paperwork, calibration numbers from university extension services, what spraying costs per acre, and a calculator that compares owning a spray drone with hiring a drone service. Always follow the pesticide label and your local rules, and get advice from your state lead agency or extension office before the first job.

Quick answer: what drone crop spraying involves

A spray drone is a multi-rotor aircraft with a tank, a pump, nozzles or rotary atomizers, and GPS guidance. It flies a pre-planned route a few feet above the crop and releases spray in a swath. Ohio State University Extension notes in its fact sheet on spray technology for orchards and vineyards that drone application rates are usually 1 to 2 gallons per acre and that batteries last 5 to 15 minutes.

That short flight time shapes the whole job. You work in a loop: fill the tank, fly a block, land, swap the battery, refill and fly again. Many operators work with one pilot and one helper on the ground, but the right crew depends on your drone, your field and your state rules.

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How to use drones for crop spraying: 7 steps

These steps follow the order most new operators meet them. The first three are paperwork, and they take the longest, so start them months before the season.

Infographic

From paperwork to first flight

1. 1Pilot certificatePass the FAA Part 107 knowledge test.
2. 2RegisterFA-number or N-number by take-off weight.
3. 3Exemption and Part 137File 120 days ahead, then Form 8710-3.
4. 4State licenseAdd the aerial category if required.
5. 5Read the labelSet the rate the label allows.
6. 6CalibrateSet droplets, height and swath.
7. 7Fly and recordCheck wind, spray, log every load.

Step 1: Get your Part 107 remote pilot certificate

Every commercial drone pilot in the US needs a Remote Pilot Certificate. The FAA summary of the Part 107 rules says you must be at least 16 and pass an initial aeronautical knowledge test at an approved testing center. The same rules cap altitude at 400 feet above ground and speed at 100 mph. Spray drones fly far lower and slower than that, so the caps rarely limit field work.

Part 107 alone does not let you spray. It is the base layer that the spraying exemption sits on.

Step 2: Register the drone by weight class

Weight decides which rules apply. The FAA page on dispensing chemicals with drones explains that a drone under 55 pounds, including the liquid it carries, can operate under Part 107 with an exemption from the hazardous-material rule (107.36). A drone of 55 pounds or more operates under Parts 91 and 137 and needs an N-number from the aircraft registry.

Many larger spray drones weigh more than 55 pounds with a full tank. Check the take-off weight of your model, not its empty weight, before you file.

Step 3: File for the exemption and the Part 137 certificate

Part 137 governs any aircraft, crewed or not, that dispenses pesticides, fertilizer, seed or other substances for agriculture. The FAA asks you to send a petition for exemption at least 120 days before you need it. After the exemption is granted, you complete FAA Form 8710-3 and send your exemption number to the FAA to start Part 137 certification under a streamlined process.

The FAA has also warned that it is checking exemption holders who fly outside their conditions. It now sends requests for information, and it closes petitions that do not answer. Keep your records in order: pilot certificate, registration, exemption, certificate of authorization and logs.

Outside the US the rules differ. In Canada, Transport Canada drone safety rules set the pilot certificate and flight rules, while pesticide use is regulated separately. In the UK, Europe and Australia, aviation and pesticide authorities each set their own conditions, so check both before you fly.

Step 4: Get the state pesticide license

The FAA covers the aircraft. Your state covers the pesticide. In Nebraska, for example, the Nebraska Department of Agriculture newsletter on drones and the Pesticide Act states that using a drone to apply any pesticide counts as an aerial application. Applicators of restricted use pesticides there need the Aerial Pest Control category on their license, and spraying land you do not own or control may also need an aerial pesticide business license.

Other states set their own categories and exams. Call your state department of agriculture before you buy a drone, not after.

Step 5: Read the label and set the rate

The label is the law for each product. University of Georgia Extension, in its article on pesticide application considerations with spray drones, says a product approved for aerial application can be applied by spray drone using the label’s aerial parameters: spray volume, droplet size and drift rules. It adds that the minimum aerial spray volume on most labels is 2 gallons per acre, and some labels require 5 or even 10.

If the label does not allow aerial application, you cannot spray that product by drone. Check the label and local rules every time; labels change.

Step 6: Calibrate height, swath and droplets

Calibration makes sure the drone puts the label rate on the ground across the full swath. The UGA guidance suggests:

• Use medium to coarse droplets. It names 250 to 320 microns as a good range for most pesticide work.
• Find an optimal height range for your drone, for example 8 to 12 feet for one older model, and stay inside it.
• Do not fly higher to widen the swath. Above a certain height the swath stops growing but drift potential rises.
• Run a swath test with spray cards or a paper strip before the first job.
• Do not always use the maximum speed and swath, because the pump may not keep up with the target rate.

Ohio State’s FABE-540 fact sheet on spray drones adds that booms extending far past the rotors can raise drift, and that a 5-gallon tank may empty in 2 to 3 minutes. Plan refill points so the drone spends its time spraying, not ferrying.

Step 7: Plan the flight and spray

Map the field boundary, mark obstacles such as power lines, trees and buildings, and set buffers from sensitive areas. Check wind speed and direction before each flight. UGA advises that fine-droplet flat-fan nozzles be used only in calm conditions under about 4 to 5 mph.

Keep records for every load: product, rate, field, time, weather and pilot. Your state and the FAA can ask for them, and they help you track results later.

Where drone crop spraying fits best

Drones are not a full replacement for ground rigs or crewed aircraft. Their tanks are small, so they suit:

• Wet fields where a ground sprayer would rut or get stuck.
• Tall crops such as corn at fungicide timing, where ground rigs damage plants.
• Small, odd-shaped or hilly fields that planes and ground rigs handle poorly.
• Spot treatment of weed patches or disease hot spots found by scouting.
• Rice and other Mid-South crops where fields are often flooded.

On large, flat, dry fields, a ground sprayer usually covers more acres per hour. Many farms mix methods: ground rigs for routine passes and drones for timing-critical or hard-to-reach jobs.

Targeted spraying is where drones and mapping meet. An Iowa State University trial reported in Integrated Crop Management news on precision spraying technology found an average 76% reduction in herbicide product across 415 acres using a camera-guided ground sprayer, with drone images used to confirm weed pressure. The trial was one season near Ames, so treat it as an example, not a forecast.

▶ How satellite crop health maps flag stressed zones across a large farm. · 4:09

How drone spraying is growing in the US

US spray drone use has grown fast. The ASDC survey estimates over 16.4 million treated acres in 2025, a 58.7% rise on 2024 (about 10.3 million acres). Its 2025 figures cover only operators with an approved Part 137 certificate, and it used the FAA count of 1,710 such operators in September 2025 as the base.

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US acres treated by spray drones

Million acres per year, estimates for approved Part 137 operators

The same survey found that growth came from more operators, not more acres per operator. Average acres per operator stayed at about 9,584. New drone sales fell by about 59%, from roughly 8,950 units in 2024 to about 3,711 in 2025, which ASDC links to US import restrictions on the leading Chinese maker.

The AAPCO 2026 presentation on unmanned aerial pesticide application shows that regulators and industry task forces are still running drift trials for drones. Some labels may change as that data arrives, which is one more reason to read the current label before each season.

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US spray drone sales by country of origin

Share of new spray drones sold, percent

Drone crop spraying costs

You can hire a drone service or buy your own drone. Each has a clear cost line.

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Average drone spraying price per acre

US dollars per acre, survey average charged by Part 137 operators

Hiring a service

ASDC reports that the average price charged per acre by Part 137 drone operators fell 38%, from $21 in 2024 to $13 in 2025. These are survey averages of service prices, not quotes. Prices vary by crop, product, field size, distance and region, and ASDC notes heavy price competition in the Corn Belt.

Buying a drone

Ohio State’s FABE-540 fact sheet lists spray drone prices between $20,000 and $40,000, depending on size and spraying features. These are general price ranges given by the university, not dealer quotes for current models. On top of the drone, budget for spare batteries and a charger or generator, a tender trailer or mixing setup, liability insurance, licenses, training and the time of a pilot and a helper.

Use the calculator below with your own numbers. The defaults are examples only.

Own a spray drone or hire a service?

The trade-off is simple. Owning costs a fixed amount each year whether you spray 500 acres or 5,000. Hiring costs per acre. The break-even point is the acreage where a year of ownership costs the same as a year of custom rates.

Ownership also gives you control over timing, which can matter more than cost during a disease outbreak. Hiring removes the paperwork, training and equipment risk. Some farms start by hiring for a season to learn what drones do well on their fields.

Try the numbers for your own farm below.

Drones in GIS: mapping before you spray

Drones in GIS work mean drone images placed on a map with coordinates, so you can measure areas, mark problem zones and plan routes. For spraying, that map becomes the flight plan and, with prescription software, a variable-rate or spot-spray plan.

Drone mapping gives very fine detail over a field you can fly to. Satellites cover every field on every pass with no flying, at lower detail. USDA’s Economic Research Service, in Precision Agriculture in the Digital Era (EIB-248), found that drones and other aerial imagery were used much less than variable rate technology on US farms. One practical approach is to start with satellite crop maps and send a drone only to the zones that need a closer look or a treatment.

Farmonaut Satellite + AI Farm Monitoring System maps crop health on your fields from satellite images, which can help you decide where to scout and where a drone pass is worth it. Satellites show vegetation change, not the pest or its cause, so confirm on the ground before you spray.

▶ How to add a field boundary in Farmonaut, three ways. · 3:50

What to look for in a spray drone

Once the paperwork is moving, pick a drone that fits your fields and your rules. These points come from the extension guidance above and from the way the FAA sorts drones by weight.

• Take-off weight. Under or over 55 pounds with a full tank decides which FAA path you follow and how much paperwork you file.
• Tank size and flow rate. A bigger tank means fewer stops, but the pump must hold the label rate at your planned speed and swath.
• Nozzles or rotary atomizers. Choose a system that can make the medium to coarse droplets most labels ask for.
• Battery count and charging. Flights are short, so plan enough batteries and charging power to keep the drone flying while others charge.
• Terrain following and obstacle sensing. These help hold a steady height over uneven ground and near trees or wires.
• Mapping and records. Look for software that imports field boundaries and exports spray logs your state can accept.
• Dealer support and parts. ASDC links the 2025 drop in new drone sales to import holds, so check that parts and repairs are available near you.

Timing and weather on spray day

Good timing matters as much as good equipment. Spray when the target pest or disease is at the stage the label names, not when the drone happens to be free. Check the forecast for rain, because many products need a dry period after application.

Wind is the main limit. Very calm air can also cause problems, because fine droplets can hang in the air during a temperature inversion, often near dawn and dusk. Your label and your state may set wind and inversion limits; follow them. Watch for gusts near tree lines and buildings, where wind can change quickly.

Plan the order of fields so the drone sprays the most urgent blocks first. Keep a log of each flight, and note anything unusual, such as a nozzle clog or a battery that ran short. Those notes help you set a better plan for the next pass.

Safety, drift and neighbors

Drones put the pilot farther from the spray than a backpack or hand sprayer, which lowers exposure. Drift is still a risk. Regulators and industry task forces are still collecting drift data for drones, and the AAPCO material shows drift field trials in Texas in 2023 and in Brazil and Australia in 2024.

• Follow every drift rule on the label, including droplet size, wind limits and buffer zones.
• Tell neighbors and beekeepers before you spray when your state requires it, and it is good practice when it does not.
• Wear the personal protective equipment on the label when mixing and loading.
• Keep people, vehicles and animals not involved in the job away from the area.
• Store batteries and chemicals as their makers and your local rules direct.

Common mistakes new operators make

• Buying a drone before checking the state license rules.
• Filing the FAA exemption late. The 120-day lead time is easy to miss.
• Spraying below the label’s minimum spray volume to cover more acres per tank.
• Flying too high to widen the swath, which increases drift.
• Skipping the swath test and getting streaks in the crop.
• Under-buying batteries, so the drone sits idle while they charge.

How we checked the numbers

Rules come from FAA pages on Part 107 and Part 137, the Nebraska Department of Agriculture and Transport Canada. Calibration figures come from University of Georgia and Ohio State University extension publications. Market figures come from the American Spray Drone Coalition 2025 survey, which covers only approved Part 137 operators and is an industry estimate, not official statistics. We name the year for every figure. Rules and prices change, so check them before you act.

Related pages on our site: farm management for large estates, fleet management, crop loan and insurance support, carbon footprinting, product traceability, satellite and weather API docs and the web app.

FAQ

Do I need a license to spray crops with a drone in the US?

Yes. You need an FAA Remote Pilot Certificate, drone registration, an FAA exemption and a Part 137 certificate, and in most states a pesticide applicator license that covers aerial application. Check your state department of agriculture for its exact categories.

Can I spray my own farm with a drone without Part 137?

The FAA says Part 137 governs any aircraft, including drones, that dispenses pesticides or other agricultural products. Rules can differ for some substances, so check the FAA dispensing-chemicals page and ask the FAA if you are unsure.

How many gallons per acre does a spray drone apply?

Ohio State Extension reports 1 to 2 gallons per acre as usual. UGA Extension notes that most labels set a 2 gallon per acre minimum for aerial use, and some require 5 or 10. Always use the label rate.

How much does drone crop spraying cost per acre?

The ASDC survey reports an average of $13 per acre in 2025, down from $21 in 2024, for Part 137 operators. Your quote depends on crop, product, field size and location.

How much does a spray drone cost?

Ohio State’s FABE-540 fact sheet gives a range of $20,000 to $40,000 depending on size and features. Add batteries, charging, a mixing setup, insurance and training.