Midwest Drone Applications
Veteran-owned. Founded 2023. 100000+ acres applied. Licensed operators in 8 states including Iowa Minnesota and Missouri.
Midwest Drone Applications provides drone pesticide and fungicide spraying and aerial cover crop seeding for row crops grown in the region across Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas. Headquartered in Overbrook, the operation reaches farms across the Corn Belt region. Iowa requires both a federal Part 137 ag aircraft operator certificate and an IDALS-issued aerial-category pesticide applicator license for any commercial spray.
Operations are based in the Corn Belt region.
Services offered
Equipment used
Certifications & compliance
States served (8)
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 Midwest Drone Applications's service area:
- Iowa — requires Category 11 (Aerial Application) for aerial pesticide application; the licensing authority is IDALS.
- Kansas — Any commercial drone spray over Kansas fields needs No single aerial category. Use-specific categories (1A/1B/1C/1D, 2, 3A/3B, 5, 6, 7C/7D, 10), issued by Kansas Department of Agriculture (KDA).
- Louisiana — Any commercial drone spray over Louisiana fields needs Category 11: Aerial Applicator + Aerial Owner Operator License, issued by Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF).
- Minnesota — Any commercial drone spray over Minnesota fields needs Category B: General Aerial. Plus MnDOT aircraft registration and commercial operations license., issued by Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA).
- Missouri — requires Category 13: Aerial Pest Control (commercial/noncommercial). Category 23: Aerial Pest Control (private). Both new as of January 2025. for aerial pesticide application; the licensing authority is Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA).
- Nebraska — requires Category 12: Aerial Pest Control for aerial pesticide application; the licensing authority is Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA).
- Oklahoma — Any commercial drone spray over Oklahoma fields needs Aerial category under ODAFF. FAA Part 137 must be filed with the Board before aerial license is issued., issued by Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry (ODAFF).
- Texas — Any commercial drone spray over Texas fields needs Category 9 (Aerial Application), issued by TDA.
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 Midwest Drone Applications's service area.
Frequently asked questions
Midwest Drone Applications should carry three credentials before any commercial pesticide application by drone in Iowa: 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 Iowa the state credential is issued by IDALS; 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 $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.
Request a quote from Midwest Drone Applications
Tell Midwest Drone Applications about your fields. They reply within 24 hours, often faster during spray season. Free, no obligation, and you can also ask for 2 more quotes from verified operators in Iowa to compare.
- Goes directly to Midwest Drone Applications, not a call center.
- 3 quotes max if you broaden, never more. We never sell your info.