Ag drone industry news

Drones are doing more now on the farm than ever before. Jeff Clack of Bestway Ag will be on hand at the Sunbelt Ag Expo to demonstrate some of these new capabilities.

Farm Progress · 1:40 AM CT

The FAA's final Omaha review moves Amazon's MK30 cruise band from 180-377 feet to 205-370 feet. Its noise report still models the old numbers.

DroneXL · 8:24 PM CT

Glasgow's Airspection flew a shore-launched drone 8.7 miles round trip to a Liverpool Bay wind farm beyond line of sight in the UK CAA's BVLOS sandbox.

DroneXL · 8:26 AM CT

Zing is testing radio modules from Seoul's NUCODE for smaller Remote ID hardware, but the FCC Covered List makes no exception for an ally's parts.

DroneXL · 7:14 AM CT

Drone Parts Center in Nivelles, Belgium, is the first Benelux dealer certified for DJI's GEO training. Matrice 4E and Zenmuse L3 courses now open.

DroneXL · 9:02 PM CT

NEW YORK — Farming isn’t just about planting seeds and waiting for the harvest anymore. Many large American farms now use satellites, GPS, drones, sensors, and software to observe their fields. Why is that important? When you manage thousands of acres, even a small improvement…

Morning Ag Clips · 5:46 PM CT

The FAA awarded $12 million to 19 drone research projects at its nine test sites. Congress mandated the money in 2024, and Part 108 is still unsigned.

DroneXL · 1:29 PM CT

New Conditional Approval allows the Italian-made K500L and its docking station to remain eligible for FCC equipment authorization, subject to onshoring and continued vetting requirements The Federal Communications Commission has granted a new exemption from its Covered List for…

DroneLife · 9:32 AM CT

A DHS addendum obtained by DroneXL scores the DJI Matrice 4T at 4.6 and the Matrice 30T at 4.3 at Hudson Yards, above the Skydio X10D at 3.7. The public report left those numbers out. I think we're allowed to ask why.

DroneXL · 5:40 PM CT

Kyle Nordfors takes the FCC drone ban fight to The Hill: 25 to 30 lives saved, searches cut from 4.5 hours to under one, no US drone that matches.

DroneXL · 11:42 AM CT

A DHS addendum marked For Official Use Only scores DJI's Matrice 4T at 4.6 and Matrice 30T at 4.3 at Hudson Yards, against 3.7 for the Skydio X10D.

DroneXL · 9:20 AM CT

AI-powered drones are transforming field monitoring, turning aerial data into actionable intelligence that helps agribusinesses prioritize inspections and improve efficiency. The post Beyond Crop Scouting: How AI-Powered Drones Could Reshape Precision Agriculture appeared first…

CropLife · 8:46 AM CT

What’s New From the Shows: New drone and support equipment expands agricultural aviation options.

Farm Progress · 2:00 AM CT

On June 10, 2026 the Pesticides Regulatory Directorate (PRD, formerly PMRA) permitted the use of drones for pesticides registered to be applied by air in Canada. Since then, a common question has been which those pesticides are, and what the volume, droplet size, and buffer zone…

Sprayers 101 · 5:40 PM CT

A federal judge held Lodi's 400-foot drone ban preempted by FAA authority, then denied the hobbyist a TRO because the borough says he isn't in violation.

DroneXL · 7:56 AM CT

A Chinese drone-registration entry names the DJI Matrice 5TD at 2.6 kg, and a leaked render prints the name. The dock drone gains 750 g on the Matrice 4TD.

DroneXL · 3:32 PM CT

Ag drones provide new perspective on center pivot monitoring and inspection. Uses for drones are growing, but some are still skeptical that the tech is ready for widespread adoption.

Farm Progress · 2:00 AM CT

The Osmo Pocket 4 Standard Combo is $572 on Amazon, 18% off, and undercuts the thinner Essential Combo by $26. DJI never set a US price for it.

DroneXL · 9:06 AM CT

Research from South Dakota State University looks at if drones are profitable for corn and soybean farms.

Agweek · 5:30 AM CT

The FCC's drone ban now reaches inside the airframe. From October 13, no new US-built drone can be authorized with a DJI-made logic-bearing part.

DroneXL · 7:29 PM CT

Farmers with 10+ years of experience help provide insights into incentive program design, monetization, and management practices that drive returns on investment. The post 2026 National Cover Crop Report Shows Continued Expansion of Cover Crop Use, Including Cover Crop Grazing,…

CropLife · 10:23 AM CT

Zipline is in talks to raise $1 billion at a $20 billion valuation, nearly triple its January price. The FAA rule its US plan needs is still unpublished.

DroneXL · 7:18 PM CT

DJI launched the SDR Transmission 2 worldwide at £309 and €349. The FCC Covered List keeps it off American sets, where the 2024 model sold for $549.

DroneXL · 6:56 PM CT

State aviation officials watched live flights at Gorman Field as CVS Health, Kelly Hills Unmanned, SkyfireAI and Thales demonstrated medical logistics and agricultural applications on North Dakota’s statewide BVLOS network. The Northern Plains UAS Test Site (NPUASTS) hosted live…

DroneLife · 5:08 PM CT

A leaked DJI Neo 3 box shows full prop guards and a DJI RC Mini, a controller name that cleared the FCC before the Covered List cutoff.

DroneXL · 6:53 PM CT

I sat down with revenue operations specialist Amy Wiegand to talk through the drone market squeeze, the Part 108 question mark, and the decisions drone service providers should be making today.

DroneXL · 9:32 AM CT

DJI is showing SDR Transmission 2 at IBC in Amsterdam, with pricing due September 17. China pays 1,999 yuan. The FCC Covered List keeps US crews at zero.

DroneXL · 3:43 PM CT

Welcome to your weekly UAS news update. We have three stories for you this week: a Zipline drone has a mishap near Houston, a Part 108 progress update from the TSA and OIRA, and the FCC gets over 3,800 comments on its military-grade drone proposal. Let's get to it.

DroneXL · 7:41 AM CT

Before the FCC put restrictions on foreign-made robots, it had already set similar restrictions on drones last year, noted Hylio. The post How drone developers are navigating changing regulatory landscapes to help farmers appeared first on The Robot Report .

The Robot Report · 7:21 AM CT

Pilot Institute coded all 3,824 readable filings in FCC docket 26-189 against the 11 questions the Commission actually asked. Here is what the record says.

DroneXL · 8:25 PM CT

Technical roundtables will examine how existing BVLOS security practices could help operators comply with new requirements For years, the drone industry’s central question about beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations has been: How do I get permission to fly? Part 108…

DroneLife · 8:49 AM CT

TSA is recruiting hand-picked operators for closed BVLOS security roundtables that run only after the Part 108 final rule publishes. Deadline October 19.

DroneXL · 8:42 AM CT

Despite different regulatory frameworks, aviation officials at Commercial UAV Expo pointed to common challenges in risk, data and managing increasingly busy low-altitude airspace. The United States and Europe have taken different paths toward enabling advanced drone operations.…

DroneLife · 6:39 PM CT

Pilot Institute read and coded all 3,824 filings in FCC docket 26-189. 98.6% oppose the military-grade drone ban as written. Sixteen support it.

DroneXL · 5:03 PM CT

DJI's 26-page filing, signed by a former U.S. Solicitor General, says no security agency ever endorsed the FCC's seven military-grade drone categories.

DroneXL · 2:52 PM CT

FAA officials at Commercial UAV Expo discussed how regulation, information sharing, airspace modernization and security must work together as advanced aviation scales As the FAA works toward a regulatory framework for routine beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone operations,…

DroneLife · 5:48 PM CT

Weber County rescue pilot Kyle Nordfors told the FCC no US-made drone matches what his team flies, and offered to prove it. His full comments, and how to file yours before midnight.

DroneXL · 4:45 PM CT

DroneXL filed comments in FCC docket 26-189 today. Read the filing in full, and use the step-by-step guide to submit your own before the window closes.

DroneXL · 4:12 PM CT

Farm Progress Show: In attempts to keep applications on the farm, one farmer bought two drones. Learn about which type of drones he invested in and how he’s using them on his operation.

Farm Progress · 3:18 PM CT

Drone operational settings such as capacity, speed, and swath width are useful figures for calculating productivity, but they only describe the airborne portion of the job. A commercial application business also must transport water, mix product, charge batteries, and establish…

Sprayers 101 · 9:30 AM CT

New US tariffs on imported drones take effect at 12:01 a.m. ET on September 3. The duty applies at import, not at checkout, so existing inventory can keep selling at today's prices.

DroneXL · 10:34 PM CT

A survey of 885 drone professionals at Commercial UAV Expo found 45.8% in wait-and-see mode on fleet procurement, and only 13.8% actually moving.

DroneXL · 4:38 PM CT

A Commercial UAV Expo panel spent the morning correcting the word ban. What bites operators is parts, repair queues and six to nine week lead times.

DroneXL · 12:25 PM CT

Commercial UAV Expo opens in Las Vegas with an FCC Covered List panel while DJI works booth 903, no keynote, and a Ninth Circuit case worth $1.56 billion.

DroneXL · 9:55 AM CT

The Kansas Department of Agriculture partner will run crop spraying, scouting, fertilizing and seeding beyond visual line of sight, following the model of Thales’s North Dakota Vantis deployment. Thales and Kelly Hills Unmanned Systems will deploy a beyond visual line of sight…

DroneLife · 9:33 AM CT

Farm Progress America: The nation's largest working farm show debuts an agronomy zone and drone demonstrations alongside traditional equipment displays.

Farm Progress · 6:57 AM CT

The FAA will add up to eight new BEYOND participants to test larger cargo drones, longer flights, and operations above 400 feet as Part 108 stays stuck.

DroneXL · 3:50 PM CT

Jack Demmer Ford launched a state-funded drone parts delivery network in metro Detroit, flown by an aircraft that cleared both the FAA and the FCC Covered List.

DroneXL · 8:52 PM CT

As agricultural drone adoption accelerates globally, manufacturers are increasingly focusing on specialized adjuvants and formulations. The post Adjuvants Take Flight: Formulating for the Drone Era appeared first on CropLife .

CropLife · 12:24 PM CT

DJI's 15-second teaser dates the Osmo 360 II for September 3 at 7 AM EDT, three weeks after a China-only launch that skipped an American price.

DroneXL · 8:12 AM CT

Western states are spending millions on cloud seeding. The one drone operator in the boom faces two state felony bans and a stalled FAA flare petition.

DroneXL · 2:54 PM CT

Ascento Guard Dori USA v1 joins a growing list of UAS exempted from the FCC Covered List through the federal Conditional Approval process. The Federal Communications Commission has updated its Covered List to exempt another uncrewed aircraft system following a Conditional…

DroneLife · 1:05 PM CT

DJI names 15 winners in its Enterprise Drone Onboard AI Challenge 2026, from a Colombian banana farm crop counter to closed-loop traffic inspection in China.

DroneXL · 12:49 PM CT

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Marylanders residing in rural portions of the state can expect to see an increase in low-flying airplanes, helicopters and drones from now until October 10, 2026 as farmers participating in the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s (MDA) Cover Crop Program use…

Morning Ag Clips · 6:23 PM CT

Farm Progress America: Federal regulators propose nearly $290,000 penalty against Washington operator, signaling stricter enforcement ahead for agricultural drone users.

Farm Progress · 6:00 AM CT

AMES, Iowa — The Iowa Learning Farms (ILF) conservation webinar taking place Aug. 19, at noon CDT will feature Hyewon Lee, Ph.D. candidate, Iowa State University, and Seowoo Lee, Ph.D., assistant professor and extension specialist in farm viability, Rutgers University. Hyewon…

Morning Ag Clips · 2:31 AM CT

The show brings cutting-edge agricultural drone technology to life with live demonstrations, expert insights and hands-on learning opportunities.

Farm Progress · 1:40 AM CT

DJI has set September 1 for what leaked packaging calls the SDR Transmission 2 Combo. The FCC Covered List already bars its US sale.

DroneXL · 7:00 PM CT

Duke's SonicFly follower quadcopter chases a leader drone with a 10-gram microphone array, no GPS sharing, no radio link, and no camera.

DroneXL · 5:43 PM CT

Michael Robbins leaves AUVSI September 30 to run the Semiconductor Industry Association, the industry he spent three years telling drone makers to copy.

DroneXL · 5:29 PM CT

R&D trends include formulation for soil, drone technology, plant health, and multifunctional formulations. The post Adjuvant Innovations: The Next Generation of Smarter, More Efficient Spray Solutions appeared first on CropLife .

CropLife · 8:32 AM CT

Autonomous drones are transforming agronomic scouting, helping growers and advisers monitor fields, identify problems sooner, and make smarter, data-driven decisions. The post Using Autonomous Drones for Smarter Agronomic Decisions appeared first on CropLife .

CropLife · 8:14 AM CT

Sponsored Content by Appelix. Executive Summary: Purpose: This evaluation analyzes commercial exterior cleaning drones available in August 2026 — comparing Apellix, Lucid Bots, Aquiline Drones, KTV Working Drones, and modified DJI platforms across key operational parameters. Top…

DroneLife · 1:11 PM CT

Uber and Zipline aim for one million drone deliveries a day by the end of 2029, roughly 230 times Zipline's current global rate, while Part 108 sits unpublished at OIRA.

DroneXL · 10:58 AM CT

The FCC's proposal to pull previously approved foreign drones covers seven capability categories, not four, and comments close September 2, not September 3.

DroneXL · 7:54 PM CT

Farmer Iron: Semiconductor breakthroughs are closing the gap with Chinese competitors, promising spot-spraying precision and farm-wide monitoring within reach of every operation.

Farm Progress · 2:00 AM CT

Explore how Marion Ag Service is leveraging innovation, navigating market challenges, and preparing for the future of agriculture and the 2027 growing season. The post CropLife Retail Week: AI Robotics, Drones, and 50 Years of Ag Retail Innovation appeared first on CropLife .

CropLife · 8:00 AM CT

DJI put the Osmo 360 II on sale in China at 3,299 yuan, about $460, with native 8K60 panoramic video, swappable lenses, and 105GB of storage — while its US store answers the launch with a 404 page.

DroneXL · 10:10 AM CT

Video: The Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa, Sept. 1-3, debuts new Agronomy Zone, FAA-approved Drone Zone, field demos, and exhibitor previews.

Farm Progress · 7:02 AM CT

DSPA co-founder Vic Moss abandoned six years of measured advocacy to attack FCC Docket 26-189. Under the anger is a filing deadline three weeks out.

DroneXL · 12:00 PM CT

Company says proposed “military-grade” categories could reach aircraft used in public safety, agriculture, inspection and other civilian applications DJI is warning U.S. drone operators that a Federal Communications Commission proposal targeting certain foreign-made…

DroneLife · 9:55 AM CT

DJI is urging drone operators to file FCC comments before September 2 as the agency weighs cutting off imports and sales of previously approved drones with thermal, LiDAR, spray, and docking capabilities.

DroneXL · 8:49 AM CT

Harvest success despite dry conditions, auger maintenance, spray drone applications and Farm Progress Show preview included this week.

Farm Progress · 7:00 AM CT

The proposal would mean that selected ag spray drones already cleared for the US market could no longer be imported or sold, says DJI. The post New FCC proposal could ‘retroactively ban’ some existing ag spray drones, warns DJI appeared first on AgFunderNews .

AgFunderNews · 5:29 PM CT

Agency says Washington company conducted unauthorized fertilizer application flights without required certification The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has proposed a civil penalty of $289,215 against Gorge Drones of Stevenson, Washington, alleging the company conducted…

DroneLife · 11:20 AM CT

DJI's first Mini-tier mic with 32-bit float internal recording went global on August 4, 2026, with product pages for Canada, the UK and the EU. The United States got none of them. DJI's own comparison chart also shows the 2S trading battery life for that storage chip.

DroneXL · 7:00 AM CT

What will operators actually need to do differently under Part 108? The FAA’s proposed Part 108 rule has generated significant excitement across the commercial drone industry. By creating a standardized regulatory framework for many beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS)…

DroneLife · 8:00 AM CT

DOT chief of staff Pete Meachum says the BVLOS rule was slowed deliberately to avoid technology lock-in. Zipline CEO Keller Rinaudo Cliffton warns the uncertainty freezes drone investment. Part 108 is six months past its deadline and under White House review.

DroneXL · 8:05 AM CT

Discover how AI, biologicals, drones, and policy insights are reshaping ag retail from the biggest takeaways at Tech Hub LIVE. The post CropLife Retail Week: Tech Hub LIVE Covers How AI, Biologicals and Drones Are Transforming Ag Retail in 2026 appeared first on CropLife .

CropLife · 10:00 AM CT

CENTRALIA, Mo. — The first episode of the new weekly streaming series “Spray Drone Network” launches on AcresTV Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, with the story of Kelli Kreider, the 5’2” former ag teacher who runs Spot-On Drone Services LLC in northeast Indiana. Kreider, who demonstrates…

Morning Ag Clips · 6:36 AM CT

Michael Perry ran DJI's U.S. business for four years. Now building American robots, he says the FCC drone ban buys time and regulation is no moat.

DroneXL · 2:55 PM CT

FCC proposal aimed at foreign “military-grade” drones could also affect agricultural spray platforms, highlighting emerging policy questions. When the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced on July 21 that it was seeking public comment on whether to prohibit the…

DroneLife · 10:24 AM CT

The Pocket 4 sits at $689 and the 4P at $980 on Amazon US, above DJI's global pricing. What the listings and the seller ratings actually show.

DroneXL · 4:09 PM CT

Mithril Defense's Campus Guardian Angel drones arrive in nine schools in Florida, Georgia, and Colorado this fall, and Florida has already approved year-two funding before a single real-world activation.

DroneXL · 11:16 AM CT

BURNSVILLE, Minn. — Fungal infection can steal a few bushels of corn, but left uncontrolled it can take half the crop. This time of year, farmers and ag workers get out to spray fungicide from high clearance vehicles, drones and airplanes. The two main concerns in southern…

Morning Ag Clips · 5:01 AM CT

MANHATTAN, Kan. — As Kansas wheat harvest wraps up, producers are leaving the field with something just as valuable as the grain in their trucks: data that can drive smarter decisions for years to come. Deepak Joshi, a precision agriculture specialist at Kansas State University,…

Morning Ag Clips · 2:58 PM CT

DJI confirms the Osmo Pocket 4P worldwide launch for July 30, 2026 at 12:00 GMT. The dual-lens gimbal camera has no US path under the FCC Covered List.

DroneXL · 3:23 PM CT

Agri Spray Drones' new maintenance video shows how a worn battery terminal arcs, spreads damage to every charger and drone it touches, and can fuse mid-flight, and the five-minute daily inspection that prevents the crash.

DroneXL · 2:27 PM CT

Powerus deals point to growth in U.S., international markets By DRONELIFE Features Editor Jim Magill A Florida-based company that manufactures heavy-lift drones for defense and commercial applications has launched a new agriculture division to market its products in the United…

DroneLife · 5:31 AM CT

The FCC extended Covered List exemptions for trusted drones through January 1, 2028, but in the same move proposed cutting off imports and sales of foreign-made thermal, LiDAR, docking, spraying, swarming, defense-integrated, and 55-pound-plus drones. That combination gives…

DroneXL · 1:49 PM CT

Laying out a plan to gather and use data and drones on your farm can help you find areas where profits are hiding.

Farm Progress · 2:00 AM CT

A celebration of agriculture is slated for Sept. 2 at the Farm Progress Show, with country music star Jason Brown followed by pyrotechnic experience of awe.

Farm Progress · 2:00 AM CT

Enforcement Bureau says companies failed to respond to investigations involving equipment added to the FCC Covered List The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has proposed $25,000 forfeitures against eight drone-related companies after they allegedly failed to respond to…

DroneLife · 7:15 PM CT

Slideshow: Glean ideas from these custom spray drone trailers on display at the Indiana Spray Drone Association Education Day.

Farm Progress · 2:00 AM CT

DJI's Mic 3 two-transmitter kit has dropped to $219 at Amazon and B&H Photo, the lowest price DroneXL has tracked since launch and a notable discount on a current-generation creator-audio product that rarely gets meaningful cuts.

DroneXL · 8:05 AM CT

U.S. drone manufacturers and mining firms paving the way for supplying agricultural units made in the U.S. The post The Future of American-Made Drones appeared first on CropLife .

CropLife · 7:06 AM CT

See how this 24-year-old pieced together his spray drone rig on a budget.

Farm Progress · 2:00 AM CT

Welcome to your weekly UAS news update. We have three stories for you this week. The FBI seizes over 600 drones at World Cup venues so far. DJI releases the Matrice 400 parachute, which is really interesting. And Boom Supersonic offers a $100,000 prize for anyone who’s going to…

DroneXL · 2:23 PM CT

DJI released the DJI AP100 Parachute for the Matrice 400 on July 8, 2026, a rear-mounted recovery system that deploys in under 600 milliseconds and brings the aircraft down at less than 5 meters per second (16.4 feet per second). The launch landed in the 8 AM EDT slot DJI had…

DroneXL · 12:42 PM CT

Drone applications and cloud-based tools expand their footprint while variable-rate practices and imagery services lose traction, according to the latest Purdue survey. The post Precision Ag’s Changing Landscape: What’s Rising, What’s Falling in 2026 appeared first on CropLife .

CropLife · 7:40 AM CT

Visitors can watch ag spray drones demonstrate their capabilities at the farm show in Boone, Iowa, from Sept. 1-3.

Farm Progress · 2:00 AM CT

The most expensive cattle in American history are now being counted from the air. HeadCount Inventory, the drone division of Kansas crop consultancy Crop Quest, flies autonomous DJI aircraft over feedyards and delivers head counts the company says hit 99.997% accuracy. “Nothing…

DroneXL · 4:45 PM CT

Kurt D. LaRose MAFG When Debbie Hoffpauir says, “This has been a two‑person show,” she isn’t exaggerating. Every part of the operation — planting, harvesting, milling, packaging, delivering, and selling — is carried out by Debbie and her husband, Ben, on their small rice farm…

Rice Farming · 2:43 PM CT

In this study, 3D sampling of drone spray applications in wheat demonstrates that coverage is strongly influenced by the interaction between drone downwash, flight speed, and wind conditions. These factors collectively determine where droplets land, how evenly they are…

Sprayers 101 · 5:00 AM CT

Speed Study Swath width is a fundamental parameter in spray drone mission planning. It facilitates the uniform application of broadacre pesticides at the target rate. Pilots adjust the swath width via operational settings such as droplet size, flight speed and altitude to…

Sprayers 101 · 10:42 AM CT

Spray drones for weed control have flooded the market with promises of spot spraying, herbicide savings, and late season herbicide applications. Questions remain, however, on how to legally, effectively and safely apply herbicides with drones. Fortunately, a team of researchers…

GROW IWM · 8:00 AM CT