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Flying Solutions: How Aerial Application Is Redefining Pest and Crop Care with Drones

October 2025 Edition:

Flying Solutions: How Aerial Application Is Redefining Pest and Crop Care with Drones, by Sam Wheeler

 

 

When trouble strikes in the fields, whether insects, fungus, weeds, or nutrient deficiencies, farmers have long relied on ground equipment or manned aircraft to respond. But now, aerial applications via drones and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) are rapidly transforming how we protect crops. Efficiency, precision, and sustainability are among the biggest gains. Here’s how flying solutions are changing pest and crop care—and what it means for the future of farming.

From the Sky, with Precision

  • Spot‑spraying & targeted treatment: Rather than blanket spraying entire fields, drones can map problem areas, measure crop stress or pest infestation, and apply pesticides, fungicides, or herbicides only where needed. This reduces chemical usage, cuts costs, and lessens environmental impact.
  • Rapid scouting and early detection: UAS equipped with multispectral or hyperspectral imaging can identify crop disease, pest outbreaks, or nutrient deficiencies before symptoms are visible at ground level.
  • Precision mapping & variable rate applications: Using NDVI imagery (reflecting crop vigor) or other sensors, aerial applications can determine “zones” of a field that need more or less input. That allows for variable‑rate spraying or fertilization, matching input to need.
  • Access & timing advantages: Drones can fly low, hover, reach odd terrain (wet, steep, or otherwise inaccessible areas), and avoid soil compaction. Because aerial units can be mobilized quickly, they may treat disease or pest outbreaks sooner than the previous application equipment.

Challenges & Considerations

Although promising, aerial applications do have their own challenges:

  • Regulation & safety: There are 2 Federal Agencies that regulate aerial applications. The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIRFRA) controls how pesticides are registered, used, sold, and labeled; they are regulated and enforced by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The U.S Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulates and enforces the Federal Aviation Regulations (FARS). According to FARS and agricultural aircraft operation is a business that operates aircraft for the following purposes: Dispensing any economic poison. Dispensing any substance for the uses of plant nourishment, soil treatment, propagation of plant life or pest control. Engaging in dispensing substances that directly affect agriculture, horticulture, or forest preservation. Many certifications and exemptions may be needed based on drone weight and primary use of drone. All commercial drones are required to be registered with the FAA. If applying chemicals, you will need to be licensed in your state to apply the chemical of choice. Make sure you know your target area to ensure safety for humans, non‑target plants, water sources, and wildlife is critical.

 

  • Cost vs scale: For very large fields, traditional aerial application (airplanes) or large ground rigs may still be more economical. Drones shine for smaller or irregular parcels, or for spot treatment, but their payload and flight time are more limited.
  • Technology & training: Farmers/operators need to learn to use sensors, mapping software, drone flight planning; plus, battery life, maintenance, calibration of spray nozzles are all parts of the learning curve.
  • Weather & conditions: Wind, humidity, temperature, and crop canopy shape affect drift, spray penetration, and pesticide efficacy. These must be managed carefully. Low flight altitude helps, but tradeoffs remain.

 

Before or After the Harvest: Drone Solutions for Stored Commodities
 

  • Ground Pile: A grain ground pile is usually circular or oval area used to store grain. The process to fill a ground pile takes 2 days to – 2 weeks on average depending on capacity and filling speed. The speed is normally around 250,000 – 500,000 bushels per day. During this process the stored grain is left vulnerable to exterior pest pressure due to being left uncovered until completion. With that risk being identified there is a prime opportunity to start using drones as a preventative measure rather than waiting till an infestation resulting in a costly fumigation. While the ground pile is being filled based on how much commodity was added, drones can be used for top dressing with a chemical like Gravista on a daily or weekly basis.
  • Flat Storage: In the grain industry, flat storage refers to large buildings (like warehouses or sheds) where grain is stored in bulk directly on the floor, rather than in silos or bins. As the flat storage is filled normally done in piles from a conveyor allowing gravity to level the pile or it can be leveled with equipment. Once leveled a drone could apply a top dressing to prevent pest infestation.
  • Concrete Silos, Welded & Bolted Bins: There aren’t as many uses for drones on the bin/silo side of the grain industry. When the bins are empty a drone could complete a bin spray with better efficacy than an individual person due to the drone’s ability to spray from heights. With the technology included in most drones there are some other uses as in getting thermal imaging of the bins/silos to show structural integrity which is very important for potential fumigations if there is a pest infestation.

 


Conclusion

Aerial application—via drones, small aircraft, or unmanned systems—is more than just a flashy new tool. It is steadily becoming a practical, powerful component of modern crop and pest management. When used correctly, it means faster response times, more precise treatments, reduced environmental impact, and often better yields. For farmers facing increasing pressure from pests, disease, labor shortages, and sustainability mandates, these “flying solutions” are increasingly less of a luxury and more of a necessity.

 

Sources & References