Aerial scouting for pest pressure, disease outbreaks, storm damage, and stand issues.
Drone scouting covers more ground faster than walking fields on foot. Operators fly systematic patterns to identify pest infestations (corn rootworm, soybean aphids, spider mites), disease outbreaks (tar spot, white mold, head scab), weed escapes (waterhemp, Palmer amaranth), hail and wind damage, herbicide injury, and emergence issues. High-resolution photos with GPS coordinates let you pinpoint problem areas and respond with targeted treatment instead of blanket-spraying entire fields.
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 R2–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.
National ag drone operator network – SE & mid-Atlantic focus
Osprey Agri Drones is a national agricultural drone operator network with strong coverage across the Southeast and mid-Atlantic. The company coordinates multi-state fleet deployment for corn, soybean, cotton, peanut, and rice applications, offering operators in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, and beyond.
National ag drone operator network & marketplace
Avary Drone operates a national network of vetted agricultural drone operators and a booking marketplace connecting growers with local certified pilots. Coverage spans the Southeast, Midwest, and mid-Atlantic, with operators available for corn, soybean, cotton, and rice fungicide and herbicide applications, as well as cover crop seeding.
HBCU drone ag research & outreach – Nashville TN
Tennessee State University's DRONEs (Drone Research, Outreach, Navigation, and Education) Program is an HBCU-based initiative delivering drone agriculture research, pilot training, and Extension outreach to Tennessee farmers, with emphasis on serving historically underserved and limited-resource producers. The program offers FAA Part 107 prep courses, precision ag workshops, and applied field research.
Middle Tennessee precision ag & orchard drone services
Black Dog Drone Co. provides agricultural drone spraying and mapping services to Middle Tennessee grain and specialty crop producers. The company handles corn and soybean fungicide applications, orchard and vineyard spray programs in the Highland Rim, and NDVI mapping for precision agronomic recommendations.
Land-grant drone research, training & extension – Lexington KY
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.
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.
AL · comprehensive drone application across row crops, forestry & aquatics
Alabama-based operator founded 2023 offering comprehensive drone aerial application across row crops, forestry, pastures, and invasive species. Covers AL, GA, MS, FL, TN, AR, and KY. Services include cotton, peanuts, corn, soybeans, hay, loblolly pine, orchards, vegetables, and aquatic weed management plus multispectral imaging.
A drone covers 200 to 400 acres per hour with full visual coverage. On-foot scouting covers 20 to 50 acres per hour with spot checks. Drones identify problems earlier and across the entire field, not just sample points, catching outbreaks before they spread across the whole operation.
Early season stand count flights work best at V2 to V4 stage (2 to 3 weeks after planting). Mid-season health assessments target V8 to VT for corn and R2 to R3 for soybeans. Pre-harvest flights document conditions for insurance and record-keeping.
There are 8 operators offering crop scouting drone services in Kentucky: Crop Hawk Drone Services, Osprey Agri Drones, Avary Drone, Tennessee State University DRONEs Program, Black Dog Drone Co., University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Bestway Ag, Coastal Agriculture Services.