Auburn University Extension
AL · precision ag workshops + spray drone herbicide research
Auburn University Extension hosts precision ag workshops featuring spray drone technology. Dr. Steve Li (Extension Weed Specialist) conducts drone herbicide application research and demonstrations on Alabama fields for row crops, cotton and peanuts.
Operations are based in the Southeast region.
Services offered
Crops serviced
States served (1)
Aerial pesticide licensing in states served
Every state requires a pesticide applicator license with the aerial category endorsement on top of FAA Part 137. The agencies that issue these licenses in Auburn Extension's service area:
- Alabama — requires Aerial category with insurance requirement. Custom Business License for aerial for-hire. for aerial pesticide application; the licensing authority is Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries.
Full agency, exam and renewal-cycle details by state are catalogued on the state pesticide licensing reference.
Verify and resources
Primary-source references for verifying credentials and looking up state-specific rules in Auburn Extension's service area.
Frequently asked questions
Verifying Auburn University Extension runs through three independent checks: Part 107 via the FAA Airmen Inquiry, Part 137 via the issuing FAA Flight Standards office, and the state aerial-category pesticide applicator license via the receiving state's department of agriculture. In Alabama the state credential is issued by Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries; you can ask the operator for the applicator license number and verify it with the agency directly. Pair that with a current chemical-drift COI and the Section 44807 exemption number for due diligence.
Typical drone spraying rates of $12 to $22 per acre in the region typically covers the application itself: drone calibration, GPS-guided mission planning, mixing and loading product into the tank, the labor and machine time to fly the field, and a written FIFRA Part 170 application record (date, time, product, EPA reg number, rate, weather, field ID). Pesticide product, surfactants and adjuvants are usually supplied by the farmer and excluded from the per-acre rate. Common surcharges include long travel past the operator's standard radius, after-hours or emergency turnaround, fields with steep terrain or significant obstructions, and minimum-acreage charges below a stated field size. Get inclusions and exclusions in writing before any application.