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.
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.
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.
Osprey network coverage for Virginia & mid-Atlantic producers
The Virginia division of the Osprey Agri Drones network serves grain, cotton, and peanut producers across Virginia's Coastal Plain and Piedmont. Osprey's multi-state fleet of DJI Agras T50 and T100 drones provides rapid scheduling for corn VT fungicide, soybean R3, and peanut late-season disease programs.
Statewide Virginia drone spraying & cover crop seeding
Virginia Ag Drones is a statewide operator providing drone fungicide, herbicide, and cover crop seeding services to corn, soybean, wheat, and peanut producers across Virginia. The company maintains crews in both the Tidewater and Piedmont regions to provide fast response times across the state's diverse agricultural landscape.
Virginia corn, soybean & wheat drone application
Apex Ag LLC is a Virginia-based agricultural drone operator serving corn, soybean, wheat, and cover crop producers across the Shenandoah Valley and Piedmont. The company offers fungicide applications, herbicide programs, and cover crop seeding, with scheduling designed to accommodate the mixed row-crop and livestock farm landscape of central and western Virginia.
Eastern NC row-crop & tobacco drone spraying
North Carolina Ag Drones is an eastern NC operator providing drone fungicide, herbicide, and cover crop seeding services to tobacco, corn, soybean, and peanut producers. The company covers the coastal plain counties from the Virginia line to the South Carolina border, offering rapid deployment during critical spray windows.
Multi-state Carolinas ag drone network
Southeast Drone Solutions operates a multi-drone fleet serving row-crop producers across North Carolina and South Carolina. The company offers corn VT fungicide, soybean R3 applications, cotton defoliant timing, and cover crop seeding, with crews positioned across the Piedmont and Coastal Plain for rapid response during peak application season.
NC tobacco, corn & soybean drone application
Carolina Agri Drones serves tobacco, corn, soybean, and sweet potato producers across the North Carolina Coastal Plain and Piedmont. The operator specializes in fungicide programs for tobacco blue mold and black shank, soybean R3 applications, and precision herbicide placement for specialty vegetables, offering scheduling flexible enough to accommodate time-sensitive tobacco windows.
Osprey network coverage for Kentucky producers
The Kentucky division of the Osprey Agri Drones network delivers drone spraying services to corn, soybean, and tobacco growers across central and eastern Kentucky. Osprey operates a multi-state fleet of DJI Agras T50 and T100 drones, offering NDAA-compliant options and rapid scheduling for time-sensitive applications.
MD/DE/VA precision ag drone · UPASS Foundation board member
Key Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia precision ag drone operator run by Earl Dyson out of Queenstown, MD. Operates DJI Agras T40 for row crop spraying (fungicide, foliar feed), orchard and vegetable pest control, and cover crop seeding. UPASS Foundation board member and speaker at UMD Extension Agronomic Drone School at Wye Research Center.
Mid-Atlantic ag drone · fungicide, herbicide, cover crop seeding
Mid-Atlantic ag drone service founded 2024, participating in the Maryland Cover Crop Program. Provides chemical application (fungicide, insecticide, foliar feed, herbicide, deer repellent), cover crop seeding, and field mapping. Offers solutions for noise-sensitive areas and muddy or obstacle-filled fields on Maryland's Eastern Shore.
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 12 operators offering cover crop seeding drone services in Virginia: Osprey Agri Drones, Avary Drone, Hylio, Osprey Agri Drones – Virginia Division, Virginia Ag Drones, Apex Ag LLC, North Carolina Ag Drones, Southeast Drone Solutions, Carolina Agri Drones, Osprey Agri Drones – Kentucky Division, Scout Applicators LLC, Chesapeake Drone Ag.