Broadcast cover crop seed into standing corn and soybeans before harvest.
Drone seeding has become one of the fastest-growing ag drone applications in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic. Operators broadcast cereal rye, annual ryegrass, crimson clover, oats, radishes, and custom blends into standing corn and soybeans weeks before harvest. This gets seed established earlier, meets NRCS cost-share program deadlines, and avoids soil compaction from driving equipment through mature crops. Fall seeding windows run August through October across the Corn Belt.
NW PA operator & FlyingAg dealer · 45 acres/hr fungicide
Waterford, PA drone spraying service and authorized FlyingAg dealer run by Randy Biebel. Operates DJI Agras T40. Covers crop spraying (herbicides, fungicides, insecticides) at up to 45 acres/hour, seeding, right-of-way management, invasive species treatment, and multispectral mapping. Serves PA and surrounding states.
Finger Lakes NY · family-owned, NYS DEC certified pesticide applicator
Family-owned drone services business founded 2024 in Canandaigua, NY (Finger Lakes region) by Christian Smith, Don Burkard, and Hana Smith. Jay Franklin serves as NYS DEC certified pesticide applicator (Category 11) with 12+ years experience. Christian Smith is a mechanical engineer. Covers NY statewide.
NY · invasive species spraying, spongy moth & spotted lanternfly
Northeast region's premier invasive species drone spraying provider, based in Herkimer, NY. Operated by Rick Jordan and Bennett Sluis. Uses NOP-certified Foray 48B for spongy moth control. Also handles herbicide, fungicide, aquatic vegetation control, cover crop seeding, and mapping. Featured on PBS. Listed on PA DCNR aerial applicator list.
Western NY orchards & vineyards · FAA Part 137 + NYS DEC certified
Founded 2024 by experienced drone pilots in western New York orchard and vineyard country. Fully FAA Part 137 and NYS DEC certified (Categories 1A and 11). Provides precision pesticide and fertilizer application, cover crop seeding, field scanning, mapping, and AI-driven field analysis. Based in Le Roy, NY.
NJ veteran nonprofit · ag spraying + veteran drone career training
Veteran-based nonprofit providing agricultural drone spray services and training veterans for drone careers. Founded by 45+ year private pilot Michael Parziale in Manasquan, NJ. Operates DJI Agras T10, T30, T40, and Mavic 3M. Provides liquid and granular application, search and rescue, and drone sales.
NJ · 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.
New England cover crop seeding specialist
Specialty drone seeding operator focused on cover crop establishment into standing cash crops across New England. Has worked at Borderview Farm Research Institute in Alburgh, VT and in Hadley, MA. Operates heavy-lift agricultural drones. Contact: (978) 430-0415.
Cereal rye, annual ryegrass, crimson clover, red clover, hairy vetch, oats, radishes, and custom blends work well with drone seeding. Seed must be sized and prepared for aerial broadcast. Large-seeded crops like soybeans are not practical for drone seeding.
In the Corn Belt, the optimal window is late July through early October. Iowa operators typically seed August through early September. Ohio operators extend into early October. Timing depends on cash crop maturity, expected rainfall, and NRCS cost-share deadlines.
There are 7 operators offering cover crop seeding drone services in New York: CropTech Solutions, Fly The Farm Drone Services, CNY Drone Services Inc., CropCare Drone Services of NY LLC, U.S.A.R. Drone Team — Agra Spray Team, Alpha Drones USA, Cover Crop Innovations.