Agricultural Drone Operations
Crop monitoring, NDVI mapping, spraying, and seeding for commercial farms.
Quick answer
Ag drones are the most lucrative drone niche per acre — USD 8–25/ac for spraying, with operators reaching USD 200k+/year if they invest in heavy-lift platforms (Agras T40/T50) and acquire Part 137 + state pesticide licenses.
Typical Revenue
USD 8–25 per acre for spraying, USD 3–8 per acre for mapping
Pricing Floor
USD 6 / acre
Pricing Ceiling
USD 25 / acre
Top jobs in this niche
- Crop scouting (NDVI/multispectral)
- Variable-rate spray application
- Seed dispersal
- Livestock counting
Recommended equipment
DJI Agras T50 / T40
Industry-standard heavy-lift sprayer
DJI Mavic 3M (multispectral)
NDVI mapping for crop health
Pix4Dfields
Agronomic processing pipeline
Key regulations
- !Part 137 (sUAS spraying — US)
- !EPA pesticide applicator license per state
- !Part 107 for non-spray ops
- !FAA waiver for >55 lb gross weight
Certifications you need
- Part 107
- Part 137 + EPA license
- State pesticide applicator license
What top operators do differently
- Day-rate $1,500–2,500
- Manage 200+ acres/day
- Insurance to USD 2M aggregate
Getting started checklist
- 1Part 107 + Part 137
- 2EPA + state pesticide license
- 3Insurance with ag rider
- 4Buy or lease an Agras T-series
- 5Network with 3–5 local agronomists
Frequently asked questions
How big a farm do I need?
Profitable starts at 500+ contracted acres per spray cycle. Below that, operating costs eat margin.
Why Part 137?
Part 107 prohibits dispensing substances. Spray ops require a Part 137 ag operator certificate even with a sUAS.