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Corn Belt

Drone Spraying in Illinois

Apply fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, and defoliants with precision from the air.

๐Ÿ’ง

How drone spraying works

Drone spraying is the most requested agricultural drone service in the United States. Commercial spray drones fly 8 to 15 feet above the crop canopy at 12 to 15 mph, applying fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, defoliants, and foliar nutrients at carrier volumes of 2 to 5 gallons per acre. Rotor downwash forces droplets into the canopy for coverage comparable to ground rigs at one-fifth the water volume. Drones are most valuable when fields are too wet for ground equipment, crops are too tall for tractor-mounted sprayers, or small and irregular fields make airplane application impractical.

Typical rate: $12โ€“$18/acre

Drone Spraying drone operators in Illinois

Ames, IA
Featured

Corn Belt leader ยท 80,000+ acres serviced

AgriForce Drone Services is a full-service agricultural drone applicator based in central Iowa, serving the Corn Belt since 2020. FAA Part 107 and Part 137 certified fleet of 8 drones. Specializing in corn fungicide at tassel, soybean applications, and fall cover crop seeding. Record: 1,200 acres treated in a single night.

Drone SprayingCover Crop SeedingCrop Scouting+1 more
$12โ€“$18/acre
80K ac 8FAA
Lafayette, IN

Indiana & Ohio corn-soybean specialist

Crop Hawk Drone Services covers Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan with a 3-drone fleet. Our core business is fungicide application on corn at VT/R1 and soybean applications at R2โ€“R3. We also offer cover crop seeding programs starting in August. Operated by a fourth-generation farm family that understands your operation from the ground up.

Drone SprayingCover Crop SeedingCrop Scouting
$13โ€“$17/acre
28K ac 3FAA
Peoria, IL

Illinois soybean & corn ยท 100 acres/day

Heartland Drone Co. is an Illinois-based drone applicator serving corn and soybean producers across the upper Midwest. Single-operator, 2-drone setup capable of 100+ acres per day. We keep our overhead low and pass the savings to you โ€” flat rate $14/acre for any field over 40 acres, no trip fee within 60 miles of Peoria.

Drone SprayingCover Crop Seeding
$13โ€“$16/acre
18K ac 2FAA
Houston, TX
Featured

American-made NDAA-compliant ag drones & operator network

Hylio designs and manufactures the AG-272, the leading NDAA-compliant agricultural spray drone in the United States, and supports a national network of certified Hylio operators. The company provides sales, training, and operator support for federal programs, defense-adjacent ag operations, and buyers requiring US-manufactured drone equipment.

Drone SprayingFertilizer ApplicationCover Crop Seeding+2 more
Price on request
FAA
Paducah, KY

Western Kentucky precision ag drone services

Bestway Ag provides drone spraying and precision agriculture services across western Kentucky and southern Illinois, specializing in corn, soybean, and wheat fungicide programs. The operation uses DJI Agras equipment and offers custom application scheduling for large row-crop farms.

Drone SprayingFertilizer ApplicationCrop Scouting
Price on request
FAA
Morristown, NJ
Featured

NJ ยท 50+ drone fleet, 123.5 acres/hr, DJI Agras T20 launch customer

Morristown, NJ operator founded 2020 by commercial airline pilots. DJI Agras T20 launch customer (purchased 49 units). Fleet of 50+ Agras drones capable of flying 5 simultaneously covering 123.5 acres/hour. Services include agricultural spraying, cover crop seeding, greenhouse whitewashing, Part 107 training, and drone leasing. Serves NJ, NY, CT, IL, and GA.

Drone SprayingCover Crop SeedingFertilizer Application+3 more
Price on request
50FAA

FAQ: drone spraying in Illinois

Most operators charge $12 to $18 per acre for application only, with the farmer supplying the chemical product. Rates vary by region, field size, terrain, and product type. Small or irregularly shaped fields typically cost more per acre than large, open tracts.

A single commercial spray drone covers 20 to 50 acres per hour depending on the application rate, field layout, and drone model. A DJI Agras T50 averages 30 to 40 acres per hour in real-world conditions. Multi-drone fleets multiply throughput proportionally.

Operators must hold an FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate, an FAA Part 137 Agricultural Aircraft Operator Certificate or valid exemption, and their state's pesticide applicator license with an aerial endorsement. They must also carry liability insurance.

There are 6 operators offering drone spraying drone services in Illinois: AgriForce Drone Services LLC, Crop Hawk Drone Services, Heartland Drone Co., Hylio, Bestway Ag, Alpha Drones USA.