Drone spraying cost in Missouri
Researched per-acre rates for agricultural drone spraying in Missouri — estimate your job, see the crop-by-crop breakdown, and compare operators.
Estimated cost in Missouri
$1,760–$3,040
$11–$19/acre × 160 acres
What’s driving this
- Missouri base rate
- $11–$19/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 2025.
Sources: MU Extension G1274 — Economics of Drone Ownership for Agricultural Spray Applications: typical custom-hire drone rate ~$16/ac (modeled owner cost $12.27/ac, custom-operator cost $7.39/ac); MU Extension G1274 full PDF; AgDroneDirectory — Mississippi Delta band $14-$18/ac (Missouri Bootheel grouped here; strong manned aerial-applicator competition)
Drone spraying cost by crop in Missouri
| Crop | Typical cost ($/acre) | Grown in MO (acres) |
|---|---|---|
| Soybeans | $11–$19 | 5,744,995 |
| Corn | $11–$19 | 3,015,286 |
| Wheat | $11–$19 | 471,565 |
| Cotton | $11–$19 | 356,345 |
| Alfalfa & Hay | $11–$19 | 183,932 |
| Rice | $11–$19 | 152,285 |
| Sorghum | $11–$19 | 29,547 |
| Peanuts | $11–$19 | 11,381 |
| Potatoes | $18–$40 | 7,937 |
| Oats | $11–$18 | 7,207 |
| Pecans | $18–$40 | 6,969 |
| Barley | $11–$19 | 2,853 |
Cost is application only; product/chemical extra — estimates, so request quotes for exact pricing. Acreage is USDA Census of Agriculture 2022 (harvested acres, or bearing acres for tree/vine/berry crops).
What’s grown in Missouri
The crops that cover the most ground in Missouri, by acreage — every one is a candidate for aerial spraying. Share is of the state’s tracked-crop acreage in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture.
Source: USDA NASS Census of Agriculture 2022 — acres harvested. Broad categories like pasture and mixed specialty crops aren’t charted here.
What drives the price in Missouri
Per-acre rates move with the crop (dense orchard and vineyard canopies cost more than open row crops), the carrier volume (more gallons per acre means more refills and fewer acres per hour), the number of passes, field size and terrain, and whether a restricted-use pesticide is applied (which adds a certified-applicator and recordkeeping surcharge).Missouri’s base rate also reflects local regulation, labor, and field geometry.
Sources & confidence
Missouri estimate · medium confidence · data as of 2025 — MU G1274 cites a typical custom-hire drone rate of ~$16/ac; AgDroneDirectory places the Missouri/Delta band at $14-$18. Typical set to $15.50 (midpoint of the MU $16 figure and the Delta band), low/high $11-$19. costIndex 1.18 = $15.50 / Iowa $12.50; Missouri prices above the flat Corn Belt core due to strong manned aerial-applicator competition and Delta-market pricing in the south/Bootheel.
- MU Extension G1274 — Economics of Drone Ownership for Agricultural Spray Applications: typical custom-hire drone rate ~$16/ac (modeled owner cost $12.27/ac, custom-operator cost $7.39/ac)
- MU Extension G1274 full PDF
- AgDroneDirectory — Mississippi Delta band $14-$18/ac (Missouri Bootheel grouped here; strong manned aerial-applicator competition)
98 drone-spraying operators serve Missouri, quoting roughly $12–$18/acre. Compare them and request free quotes.
Get quotes in MissouriMore on drone spraying cost
Drone spraying cost in Missouri: FAQs
- How much does drone spraying cost in Missouri?
- In Missouri, drone spraying runs about $11–$19 per acre for row crops and $18–$40 per acre for orchards, vineyards, and specialty crops (application only, product extra), about 24% above the national median. Field size, carrier volume (gallons per acre), passes, and product all move the number — request quotes for an exact figure.
- Why does drone spraying cost above in Missouri?
- Per-acre rates vary by state with regulatory load (permitting, buffer zones, applicator licensing), labor and fuel costs, field size and geometry, and crop mix. Missouri's rate reflects those local factors versus the national median.
- Does a restricted-use pesticide cost more to apply in Missouri?
- Usually a little. Restricted-use products require a certified applicator, extra recordkeeping and notification, and stricter buffers — a modest per-acre surcharge (often a couple of dollars an acre) on top of the base rate.
- How does gallons per acre change the price?
- Higher carrier volume (more gallons per acre) means more refills and fewer acres per hour, so per-acre cost rises with GPA. Low-volume row-crop jobs (~2 GPA) are cheapest; California and specialty orchard/vineyard work at 5–10 GPA costs more. This is where the technology has moved fastest, though — today's flagship tanks hold roughly 26 gallons, about five times the 2020 models, so drones now cover higher-GPA work far more efficiently than they used to.