Ag drone industry news

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