University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture
Land-grant drone research, training & extension, Lexington KY
Stated by the operator, not checked by us
The Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment at the University of Kentucky operates a drone research and extension program focused on precision agriculture for Kentucky grain, tobacco and forage producers. The program conducts field trials, trains producers in drone scouting and application and partners with county Extension offices statewide.
Operations are based in the Corn Belt region.
Services offered
Crops serviced
Equipment used
Certifications & compliance
The operator told us each of these. Anything we matched against a public record is shown with the date we checked it, at the top of this page.
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 UK Ag Drone Program's service area:
- Kentucky — Any commercial drone spray over Kentucky fields needs Category 11: Aerial Certification (explicitly includes UAS), issued by Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA).
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 UK Ag Drone Program's service area.
Frequently asked questions
Ask University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture for four documents to confirm credentials: the Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate number, the Part 137 Agricultural Aircraft Operator Certificate, the state aerial-category pesticide applicator license, and a certificate of insurance carrying chemical drift coverage. In Kentucky the state credential is issued by Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA); you can ask the operator for the applicator license number and verify it with the agency directly. The Section 44807 exemption number is the fourth piece, applicable to any drone over 55 lbs gross weight.
Typical drone spraying rates of $12 to $22 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.