Knox Farmers Cooperative

Knox Farmers Cooperative should carry three credentials before any commercial pesticide application by drone in Tennessee: an FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate for the pilot in command, an FAA Part 137 Agricultural Aircraft Operator Certificate for the business, and a state aerial-category pesticide applicator license. In Tennessee the state credential is issued by Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA); you can ask the operator for the applicator license number and verify it with the agency directly. A current certificate of insurance with chemical drift coverage and the operator's Section 44807 exemption number are reasonable to request alongside the license itself.

Typical drone spraying rates of $12 to $18 per acre in the region is application-only — the chemical itself, surfactants and adjuvants are usually farmer-supplied. The rate covers calibration, RTK GPS flight planning, the labor to fly the field, mixing and loading from the supplied product, and the FIFRA Part 170 application record (date, time, product, EPA reg number, rate, weather, field ID). Watch for travel surcharges past a stated radius, weekend or emergency-turnaround premiums, terrain or obstruction add-ons, and any minimum-acreage floor on small fields. Confirm in writing.