Row crops in the United States cover roughly 240 million planted acres per year and are the single largest customer for commercial agricultural drone spraying. Drone fungicide and insecticide rates run $12 to $22 per acre depending on crop and product. The four highest-volume drone-sprayed row crops are corn (90M acres, VT/R1 fungicide), soybeans (87M, R2/R3 fungicide), wheat (45M, T3 heading) and cotton (10M, defoliant Sep-Oct).
Row crops is the umbrella category for corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton, sorghum and the other field crops planted in defined rows that dominate US drone spraying volume — roughly 240 million planted acres in 2024 per USDA NASS.
Drone application can respond quickly to any of these threats, even in fields with difficult access.
Green = optimal application window
| Service type | Low | Average | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Row Crops: application only | $12/acre | $17/acre | $22/acre |
Official resources
The typical rate for drone spraying on row crops is $12 to $22 per acre for application only, the farmer supplies the chemical product. Pricing varies based on total acreage, distance from the operator's base and product type. Larger fields (500+ acres) often qualify for lower per-acre rates.
Optimal timing for drone applications on row crops is: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct. Applications should be made at low wind speeds (under 10 mph), ideally early morning or evening, to maximize product adhesion and minimize drift.
Key advantages of drone application over ground equipment: (1) zero soil compaction, (2) can operate when fields are too wet for tractors, (3) high-precision GPS coverage with 95%+ uniformity, (4) can treat irregular or small fragmented fields and (5) can spray tall crops like corn at full canopy. The main trade-off is a smaller tank size compared to pull-behind ground rigs.
Dunbar NE drone ag technology & application services
Volitant Technologies provides agricultural drone application services and precision technology solutions to row-crop and specialty crop producers. The company combines drone spraying with data analytics and remote sensing to deliver prescription-based applications for fungicide, herbicide and fertilizer programs.
NW PA operator & FlyingAg dealer · 45 acres/hr fungicide
Waterford, PA drone spraying service and authorized FlyingAg dealer run by Randy Biebel. Operates DJI Agras T40 and T50. Covers crop spraying (herbicides, fungicides, insecticides) at up to 45 acres/hour, seeding, spreading, training, right-of-way management, invasive species treatment and multispectral mapping. Serves PA and surrounding states.
Family-run Michigan drone operator based in St. Clair County. Jeff Whiting and his son Eric are fully licensed and insured with all the exemptions and certifications required by the FAA and the state of Michigan. Additional certifications for aquatics, right-of-way and mosquito applications. MDARD-compliant. Serves the Michigan Thumb and Great Lakes Bay Region.
Established aerial application company, parent of Kelly Hills Unmanned Systems. Bridging traditional ag aviation with drones.
Certified Revolution Drones (Terraplex AG) dealer. NDAA-compliant platform. Extensive educational content.
EAVision authorized dealer through Agri Spray Drones. Member of NewAg Dynamix network.
The weekly read for spray drone operators. What changed in the rules, the rates, the weather and the gear. Over 1,200 operators read it.
For drone operators
One email a week. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.