Rice drone spraying cost in Missouri
Researched per-acre cost to spray rice by drone in Missouri, the agronomy that drives it, and operators who cover your area.
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)
What it takes to spray rice in Missouri
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 Missouri: 152,285 harvestedacres (USDA Census of Agriculture 2022) — so there’s real, sprayable rice acreage for operators here.
How big is a typical rice field in Missouri?
The average Missouri rice operation works about 614 acres of rice (USDA Census of Agriculture 2022, 248 operations) — so at these rates a field that size runs about $6,754–$11,666 per application. That’s an average across whole operations; a single field is usually smaller. Rice field sizes & cost in Missouri →
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)
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Other crops in Missouri
Rice drone spraying in Missouri: FAQs
- How much does it cost to spray rice by drone in Missouri?
- Drone spraying rice in Missouri typically runs about $11–$19 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.