Crop dusting: Exploring aerial application safety by plane or drone

URBANA, Ill. — One of the trademarks of summer is the sight of planes and helicopters making gravity-defying turns as they make passes up and down cornfields. While this evokes awe and amazement, it also elicits curiosity as to what they are doing and why. Additionally, when serious or fatal agricultural aviation accidents make local news headlines, they raise concerns about the safety of these practices and prompt questions about possible alternatives.

In mid- to late-July, field corn reaches its reproductive stage of growth, marked by the emergence of tassels at the top of each plant.

“This is an extremely important time in the growth of the crop, as the plants will begin to expend all their resources on producing grain,” says Kathryn Seebruck, commercial agriculture educator, University of Illinois Extension.

As such, it is imperative that the crop be protected from stress during this time. Adverse weather conditions and pest pressure during grain fill can significantly impact yields, resulting in economic loss to the producer. Already facing razor-thin margins due to low crop prices and high input and land costs, farmers strive to set their crop up for success and reduce the negative impacts from stressors like weather and pests.

One such method is to apply crop protection products such as fungicides and insecticides to prevent diseases and insects, respectively, from damaging the crop during this sensitive period. Many of these products are designed to be applied at the tassel stage of corn when the crop is most vulnerable to these pests. Aerial application of these products using airplanes or helicopters, also referred to as crop dusting, offers multiple benefits in comparison to using a ground rig, including:

• No crop damage or soil compaction
• The ability to make a timely application within a narrow timeframe
• The ability to cover more acres per day
• More effective application of the product at the upper half of the plant
• Limited availability of high clearance applicators 

While product application via manned aircraft is efficient and timely, the biggest drawback to their use is their safety. What makes them exciting to watch is also what makes them dangerous.

Spray Drones

Newer agriculture technology in the form of spray drones can address this issue, but there is nuance to their use. Spray drones offer significant safety advantages over traditional manned aircraft used in agricultural applications. Unlike manned airplanes or helicopters, spray drones eliminate the risk to human pilots by operating remotely, which reduces the potential for fatal accidents.

In 2024 alone, the National Traffic Safety Bureau reported 60 agricultural aviation accidents, 13 of which were fatal. Only one accident involved a drone with a serious but non-fatal injury. Commercial piloting, especially in agriculture, is among the most dangerous occupations, with a death rate of 57 per 100,000 workers.

Spray drones also minimize the risks associated with carrying large volumes of hazardous materials and aviation fuel, as they typically carry much smaller payloads and operate at low altitudes within field boundaries. This precise application greatly reduces the risk of harm in the event of an equipment failure or crash, making spray drones a safer alternative for agricultural input application.

Drones vs Crop Dusters

While drones offer a higher degree of safety, manned crop dusters still have several key advantages, especially for large-scale agricultural operations. Manned aircraft can carry much larger payloads and cover hundreds to thousands of acres per day at significantly faster speeds, making them more efficient for broad area spraying. Their longer operating times also make them well-suited for continuous, high-output applications. Although drones are advancing quickly, their limited battery life, smaller coverage capacity, and regulatory restrictions currently make them less cost-effective for large operations.

“As technology and regulations evolve, swarms of drones working in coordination will likely overcome many of today’s limitations,” says Dennis Bowman, digital agriculture specialist, Illinois Extension. 

That said, drones have notable strengths of their own. They are ideal for small or irregularly shaped fields, and when owned by the farmer, they offer a major advantage for time-sensitive applications. Additionally, the initial cost of a spray drone is substantially lower than that of a manned aircraft, which can exceed $2.5 million, making drone ownership much more attainable. The producer must carefully weigh the benefits and drawbacks of these application methods, as the practicality of each will differ by operation. 

Agriculture is one of the most dangerous professions in the United States. Whether one works directly on the farm or in an adjacent occupation like agricultural aviation, safety should always be top of mind. One of the paramount advantages of advancing agricultural technology like drones is that they make ag work easier and, more importantly, safer. And while a much less important aspect, spray drones are just as fascinating to watch. As their benefits are realized, they may just become as much of a familiar sight in the summer as crop dusting airplanes and helicopters.

SOURCE/WRITERS: Kathryn Seebruck, commercial agriculture educator, Illinois Extension; and Dennis Bowman, digital agriculture specialist, Illinois Extension

EDITOR: Jenna Braasch, media communications coordinator, Illinois Extension

CAPTION: A crop duster plane flies over crops in an Illinois farm field. Photo by: Dennis Bowman, University of Illinois Extension. Photo available for media download, including credit.