There’s a lot of buzz among farmers about the buzz of drones coming from the air. To convert some of that curiosity into actual sales, dealers need a certain level of expertise — and a certain willingness to do a little hand-holding.

While most farm equipment does require some degree of setup and training, something as different as a spray drone takes that to a new level. There are also legal hurdles that have to be cleared. Pioneering spray drone dealers report that their role as “consultant” has been pivotal during their first few years of building up their markets.

Dealers also report that it’s getting easier to convince farmers of the advantages of using a spray drone, which include:

• Often less expensive than hiring an airplane applicator
• Highly efficient and precise, which improves efficacy and reduces waste
• Can work in rough, hilly and soggy conditions when a ground sprayer can’t
• Generally work 10-12 feet above ground, helping to reduce soil compaction

“More research is coming out showing a good ROI on drone spraying — not only compared to an airplane, but even a 1,500-gallon ground rig,” says Blake McGrew, sales and lead technical support at Drone Deploy Aerotech, a family-based XAG drone dealer in Barry, Ill., that also specializes in custom application services. “I’ve also seen research showing better yield response coming out of a fungicide application. Nothing piques a farmer’s interest like this type of research.”

Another thing that has piqued farmers’ interest is the fact that spray drone productivity has improved in recent years. Drones with tanks up to 18.5 gallons and speeds up to 40 mph allow productivity in the 60- to 75-acre per hour range. Additionally, spray drones are inherently precise in their application.

“Ultimately, you’re going for good coverage — especially with foliar applications,” says Thomas Rindfuss, owner of Truss Services in Bucyrus, Ohio, which provides custom applications and is a dealer for both DJI and XAG drones. “Instead of having a boom, these drones have what’s called a rotary atomizer nozzle. That’s essentially a hose going down to a motor that has a disc spinning around. That disc chops up the mixture of particles to get to the desired particle size, and also create a distribution of those particles across the drone. The two nozzles are typically about 6 feet apart, but are able to cover a healthy 24- to 30-foot swath.”

One of the big advantages of a spray drone is something known as the vortex, which is the wind current caused by the propellers. The propellers are able to thrust the product out and down in a controlled manner.

“I had a farmer do some testing,” Rindfuss shares. “When I did an application for him, the product was penetrating down through 10-foot-tall corn all the way down to his shins. That’s efficiency.”

Who’s Showing an Interest?

The applications for a spray drone are seemingly endless. Fungicide applications are very popular. Herbicide applications on pastureland are becoming more common. Overseeding and granular fertilizer applications are also becoming commonplace by swapping-in a hopper spreader attachment for the sprayer tank.

Whatever the application, many farmers and ranchers who see the benefits of drone spraying would prefer to hire it out, just like they had been doing with airplane applications. People who want to become custom applicators represent the biggest market for drone sales right now.

“A lot of farmers are able to grasp the concept of using a spray drone pretty quickly,” Rindfuss says. “I’m in an area with a lot of 65-plus-year-old farmers who aren’t overly interested in experimenting. I moved cautiously when I got started. I networked with some of them and convinced them to let me spray a field as a test. Most called me back the next year wanting everything sprayed. The growth potential is insane.”

An application drone sprays a field in Missouri. Monarch Drone Solutions

Jnani Matson has also been surprised by the interest he’s seen from the older demographic. When he started his custom application business a little over a year ago, he sent a direct mail piece to 100-plus-acre landowners in a 9-county area.

“A lot of the business I got was from landowners over the age of 85,” says Matson, founder and president of Vortex Advantage AG in Alvarado, Texas, which provides custom applications and is a dealer for DJI, XAG and EAVision drones. “They seemed to understand drone technology and how it is advancing, and want to be at the cutting edge of technology.”

Back up in central Illinois, McGrew says cost has been driving much of the demand in his area. Now some farmers are taking their ROI analysis a step further by contemplating an in-house drone operation.

Taking the time to teach new drone operators how to use the controller and get all of the settings right is a critical step in cultivating this emerging market. Monarch Drone Solutions

“Plane prices aren’t going down, at least in our area,” McGrew says. “Some people are getting $15 per acre to fly their plane now. Drone applications have been running around $13. Those prices will vary, which is why some farmers are starting to look at all of that and wonder if they could just buy a $30,000 drone and learn how to do it themselves. Some have told us they have a grandchild coming back to the farm, and see drone spraying as something that can be added to that person’s responsibilities.”

Rindfuss says a lot of farmers aged 40-50, who may have hired out a drone application in the past, are also looking to purchase their own drone now. Selling them used drones from his application business has been a great way to cultivate new price-conscious customers, though some go all in a buy a new drone right from the start.

Down in Missouri, Dakota Crow is also seeing heightened interest from younger farmers. He’s leveraging his experience as a “next-generation drone operator” to connect with other family farms in his area.

“We are seeing more of the next generation on farms, like myself,” says Crow, owner of Monarch Drone Solutions in Springfield, Mo., a dealer for DJI and EAVision drones. “I don’t know that I would’ve been able to come back to the farm unless this type of technology was there. I wasn’t even sold on drones at first. I just knew that my dad bought one, and I had to learn to fly it. My opinion changed when I saw how these spray drones have really evolved from toy to tool. We sold about 30 last year, and half were to individuals like me coming back to the farm after living in the city.”

Choosing the Right Drone

Spray drones have come a long way in recent years in terms of speed, productivity and durability. That said, the main components still include a tank, pump, pressure gauge, hoses, filters, nozzles, a flow meter, GPS/GNSS receiver, sensors and a controller.

“There is a little setup involved, but nothing unlike any other piece of farming equipment, McGrew points out. “Modern agriculture drones are set up at the factory to be able to come out of the box and start spraying.”

The question is, which box should a dealer reach for when talking to a potential customer.

An application drone makes use of its optional spreader attachment to overseed a field in Missouri. Monarch Drone Solutions

“The first thing I like to find out is the number of acres they plan on spraying per year,” McGrew says. “It’s also good to know field sizes and how spread apart those fields are. If a customer has a bunch of smaller fields and only plans on spraying a couple thousand acres, I’ll probably suggest an older model like the XAG P100 Pro. That’s ‘last year’s drone’ so it has come down in price, but is still a really good drone.

“On the other hand,” McGrew continues, “if a custom applicator is looking to spray a bunch of 160- to 320-acre fields, the new XAG P150 is a better option because it has a larger tank and is a lot faster. Yeah, it costs $10,000 more, but is so much more productive for the guy who wants to make a living doing this.”

Rindfuss takes a similar approach. A farmer with lower production needs, for instance, could benefit from a lower-priced, 5.5-gallon sprayer vs. 10.5 gallons. “That smaller spray drone also has half the motors, and half the wear and tear,” Rindfuss points out. “The battery may also last longer because it’s a smaller, lighter drone.”

It’s also important to understand what the customer is looking to spray. As Matson explains, some herbicide applications require 4 gallons per acre, like the prickly pear cactus he recently sprayed in South Texas. “If you don’t have a drone capable of applying 4 gallons an acre and still moving pretty fast, you won’t be nearly as efficient as you need to be,” Matson says.

Matson also likes to have a conversation about the obstacles a customer expects to encounter, namely trees. If the customer plans on spraying primarily large, wide-open fields, drone speed moves up to the top of the features list.

The point is to be able to offer options to help fit within a given customer’s needs and budget. As a dealer of 3 brands, Matson says providing options is central to his strategy as a pioneering drone dealer.

“Customers come to me with their scenario,” Matson says. “Then I leverage my experience as an applicator to provide some recommendations. Personally, I don’t think you can be a successful drone salesperson if you don’t have field experience yourself. But ultimately, what the customer purchases is up to them. We’re going to show them all the drones we have and explain the pros and cons, and they can pick what they like best based on features.”

Row-crop farmers are a primary customer segment for spray drone applications, but pastureland is proving to be another excellent application. Vortex Advantage AG

Matson says his first year as a drone dealer has blown past his initial expectations. “I sold 50 ag drones over my first 8 months,” Matson shares. “The velocity of interest here in Texas is something I’m glad I didn’t ignore.”

Because there are only a handful of legitimate spray drone brands out there, the majority of which still come from China, it’s a little easier for a dealer to compare and contrast the products they are trying to sell. McGrew says some of the differentiating features he likes to discuss include build quality, flying speed and the method for cooling down batteries. XAG in particular has an open-cell battery design, along with a unique mist-cooling container that he says cools down batteries more efficiently while they’re recharging.

Crow likes to talk about terrain-following and obstacle-avoidance. As a relatively new EAVision dealer, he’s excited about its drone, the J100, that includes lidar. “It’s far superior to any radar system I’ve seen,” Crow says.

Add-on Products

A high-production custom applicator, or even a small farmer, will only be successful with their application drone if they have the right products to go with it.

The first thing that comes to mind is a spreader attachment. Matson and Crow have each seen increased interest in spreading not only granular fertilizers and herbicides, but also overseeding certain grasses, clovers and cover crops.

“Each manufacturer has their own way of converting from sprayer to spreader,” Matson points out. “With XAG, the top of the drone detaches, and then you put it on a separate landing gear that includes a spreader. With DJI, you simply remove the tank and put a spreader in its place. EAVision is pretty similar to DJI. Either way, it’s really easy.”

Spray drones have evolved from toy to tool, and then some. Some models, like the DJI Agras T50 pictured here, can measure up to 10 feet, and are capable of treating nearly 52 acres per hour in certain field operations. Vortex Advantage AG

Other add-on products include extra batteries and chargers to help ensure reliable productivity in the field. Rindfuss says he personally swaps batteries every 4-6 minutes when he’s doing custom applications. It’s important to factor that in, along with how long it takes to recharge a battery, to determine how many batteries and chargers are needed to maximize uptime.

A generator is an important piece of that puzzle. As a general rule, McGrew says the typical farmer can probably get by with a gas generator. Custom applicators are best served by a diesel.

Wattage is the really important consideration. Rindfuss recommends a 13,000- to 15,000-watt generator for single-drone use, and 30,000 to 40,000 watts for a 2- or 3-drone operation. “We want to get back in the air within 30-45 seconds of landing,” Rindfuss relates. “A good generator helps fast-charge those batteries so we can keep a good rotation.”

A properly equipped trailer is key to a custom applicator’s ability to run a highly efficient spray drone operation. Farmers and ranchers will benefit from having a well-conceived trailer setup too. Truss Services

A trailer is another important piece of the puzzle. McGrew says 25% of his drone sales last year included a customized trailer. A trailer not only carries the drone(s) around the countryside, but also the generator, batteries, chargers, chemicals, water, computers/tablets and other items needed for a mobile drone-spraying operation. The specific size and configuration of a trailer depends on a given customer’s needs and preferences.

“Some custom applicators like an enclosed trailer, and others like a gooseneck-style double-deck trailer,” Rindfuss relates. “We ultimately just want to help them set up a trailer so they can be as efficient as possible, and carry enough water, chemicals and supplies for a full day of spraying.”

If a dealer doesn’t already sell generators and trailers, it’s a good idea to establish relationships with vendors who can help out. It all plays into that concept of being a one-stop shop that customers really value, especially when they’re brand new to something like spray drones.

Training & Support

Being a one-stop shop also includes providing a high level of training and support. The biggest thing is helping a farmer overcome their initial fear of not being able to fly a drone. According to Crow, that’s just not true. With a little bit of training, he believes anyone versed in farm machinery operation can become a proficient drone pilot.

First things first, the customer needs to obtain the necessary credentials to legally fly a drone. As a dealer, Matson has deemed it essential to be heavily involved.

The new XAG P150 is built for high productivity. With flight speeds in excess of 30 mph, combined with a large 18.5-gallon spray tank, the P150 helps operators cover more ground in less time. Rantizo, an Iowa-based DJI and XAG drone dealer, also manages a network of custom applicators operating in 30 states. Rantizo 

“By offering FAA compliance as a service to our customers, we can provide some quality control throughout the process,” Matson says. “It’s typically a 3- to 4-month process. It can be shorter, but it can also take longer. It really depends on how on top of things the customer is, which is why we think it’s a good idea if we can help.”

While the FAA component is a big one, Matson says there is also some state-based Department of Agriculture compliance that needs to be handled. “It can all sound overwhelming at first,” Matson says. “That’s why we try to handle as much of the heavy lifting as possible for our customers. Having been through the process myself as a custom applicator, I can guide customers through that process so they don’t make the same mistakes I did.”

Next comes product training. This requires a real commitment on the part of the dealer.

“When I sell a drone to a new customer, I’ll spend a half-day to an entire day with them,” McGrew relates. “We try to pick a day when we’ll have nice weather so we can actually get out and run the drone. Investing in that one-on-one time upfront helps reduce the amount of calls I get once the busy season starts.”

McGrew actually likes to put an orientation checklist together that includes things like:

• FAA and other compliance needs
• Product registration and warranty
• How to set up the drone
• What settings to use in the controller
• Creating maps and boundaries
• Drone maintenance

“It’s a good idea to have the customer sign that checklist confirming that you’d went over everything,” McGrew says. Doing so helps hold both parties accountable.

The drone’s precise and penetrating application of chemicals can help farmers improve efficacy and reduce waste. Truss Services

Ongoing support is equally important. Matson says he takes calls all day, every day during the busy season. That just goes with the territory of being a pioneering dealer for something as new and different as a spray drone.

Along with making yourself available, Crow advises dealers to set up some kind of online knowledge hub to give customers instant access to information and answers to their common questions. “Folks need accessibility to knowledge more than anything else,” Crow says.

In a market as new and rapidly evolving as application drones, it’s the dealer’s role to help provide that knowledge — because it’s knowledge that helps convert curiosity into sales.