Agricultural Drones Quadruple Acres Treated in Just Two Years
By AGDAILY Reporters
Published: October 16, 2026
Farmers and researchers can use drones and photogrammetry to map runoff and pollution-risk areas with great accuracy, making precision agriculture more accessible (Image by Jhony Armando Benavides-Bolaños, Penn State).
Rapid Growth in Agricultural Drone Usage
Agricultural drones are quickly becoming a more common sight over American farmland, with the number of acres treated by the technology more than quadrupling in just two years.
According to a new analysis from the American Farm Bureau Federation, agricultural drones treated approximately 16.4 million acres in the United States in 2025, compared with just 3.7 million acres in 2023. That represents a 59 percent increase over 2024 alone, when drones covered roughly 10.3 million acres.
The rapid growth signals a shift in how farmers approach crop protection, field management, and precision agriculture, particularly when traditional equipment cannot get the job done.
"Farmers don’t just adopt technology like this because it’s new. They do it because it works," said Bernt Nelson, an economist with the American Farm Bureau Federation, in a recent Farm Bureau news report.
Filling Gaps Traditional Equipment Leaves Behind
Rather than replacing ground sprayers or crop-dusting aircraft, agricultural drones are finding their place in situations where conventional equipment faces limitations. Wet fields, steep terrain, irregularly shaped acreage, and narrow application windows can all make traditional spraying difficult or impractical. Drones offer an alternative that allows farmers to reach those areas without driving heavy equipment through growing crops or compacting wet soils.
They can also help growers respond more quickly to pest and disease pressures when ground equipment cannot enter fields or aerial applicators are unavailable.
"Time is bushels, and when timing matters and the fields aren’t accessible, a drone can make the difference in getting in, getting the application done, and not getting it done," Nelson said.
Benefits and Business Opportunities
The technology is particularly useful for smaller fields, terraces, waterways, and areas with obstacles that complicate conventional spraying. Remote operation can also reduce an applicator’s direct exposure to crop protection products.
Federal Aviation Administration data cited by Farm Bureau shows approximately 5,500 registered agricultural spray drones in 2025, associated with 2,588 operations holding agricultural aircraft operating authority under Part 137.
The expansion of agricultural drones is also creating business opportunities beyond individual farming operations. Custom drone application services allow farmers, ranchers, and rural entrepreneurs to offer crop protection treatments, cover crop seeding, and field scouting without relying exclusively on traditional spraying equipment. However, those services can come at a higher per-acre price.
According to Farm Bureau’s analysis, custom drone application rates generally range from $12 to $18 per acre for row crops and $18 to $35 per acre for orchards and specialty crops. Traditional ground spraying typically costs between $6 and $12 per acre, while airplane applications range from $10 to $18.