Rice drone spraying cost in Arkansas
Researched per-acre cost to spray rice by drone in Arkansas, the agronomy that drives it, and operators who cover your area.
Estimated cost in Arkansas
$1,440–$2,560
$9–$16/acre × 160 acres
What’s driving this
- Arkansas base rate
- $9–$16/acre (row crop)
- Gallons per acre
- 2 GPA → ×1.00
Application only — product & chemical extra.
Sources & how this is estimated
Estimate only — actual rates vary by field size, terrain, and product. Application only; product/chemical extra. Data as of 2026.
Sources: UADA 2025 Arkansas Crop Enterprise Budgets (custom aerial application $10/acre); UADA news: 2025 enterprise budgets now available; Ag Drone Directory 2026 pricing - Mississippi Delta tier $14-$18/acre (incl. AR)
What it takes to spray rice in Arkansas
Flooded paddies are impassable to ground rigs, so drones are a natural fit; higher carrier volumes are common for coverage.
- Carrier volume: 3–5 GPA — higher volumes cost more per acre (more refills, fewer acres/hour).
- Typical passes: 1–2 (fungicide/herbicide over flooded paddies).
- Grown in Arkansas: 1,125,866 harvestedacres (USDA Census of Agriculture 2022) — so there’s real, sprayable rice acreage for operators here.
How big is a typical rice field in Arkansas?
The average Arkansas rice operation works about 701 acres of rice (USDA Census of Agriculture 2022, 1,607 operations) — so at these rates a field that size runs about $6,309–$11,216 per application. That’s an average across whole operations; a single field is usually smaller. Rice field sizes & cost in Arkansas →
Sources & confidence
Arkansas estimate · high confidence · data as of 2026 — Row-crop application-only band anchored on the UADA 2025 enterprise-budget custom aerial figure of $10/acre (manned fixed-wing); Delta drone operators quote $14-$18, so typical set to $11 with high $16 to bridge manned and drone. Arkansas is a dense, mature aerial-application market (rice/soybean/cotton) with heavy manned-applicator competition suppressing rates ~5-10% below Iowa, hence costIndex 0.92. Specialty band reflects cotton defoliation and sweet-potato/pecan work; no significant vineyard culture, so lower-to-mid national specialty range.
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Other crops in Arkansas
Rice drone spraying in Arkansas: FAQs
- How much does it cost to spray rice by drone in Arkansas?
- Drone spraying rice in Arkansas typically runs about $9–$16 per acre (application only, product extra). Carrier volume, passes, field size, and product move the final number — compare operator quotes for an exact price.
- What carrier volume and how many passes for rice?
- Rice is usually treated at 3–5 GPA over 1–2 (fungicide/herbicide over flooded paddies). Flooded paddies are impassable to ground rigs, so drones are a natural fit; higher carrier volumes are common for coverage.