How to Use an Agricultural Drone: A Step-by-Step Spraying Flight

Effective drone spraying starts long before you press "start" on the controller. Accurate field mapping, a tank mix suited to drone application and a correct reading of the weather determine the result. This guide walks through a spraying day from start to finish.

If you want to know what a farm drone is and how it is built, start with What Is an Agricultural Drone?

1. Before Flying: Legal Preparation and Training

In Türkiye, agricultural drones are subject to the rules of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (SHGM) like any other UAV. In general, the drone must be registered in the SHGM UAV registration system and the pilot must hold a UAV pilot certificate appropriate to the drone class. Extra permission is needed near airports and in restricted areas. Regulations are updated from time to time, so check SHGM's latest announcements before applying.

For crop protection products, the regulations of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the product label are decisive: the product must be registered for the crop and pest, and the label rate and pre-harvest interval must be respected. Daze Tarım provides basic operation and safety training at delivery.

2. Field Mapping and Route Planning

Defining the boundary

For small, regular plots, marking points with the controller is enough. For irregular fields with trees or power lines, an aerial map made with the drone's camera is safer. Poles, trees and buildings are marked as obstacles.

Route parameters

• Height: usually 2-3 m above field crops. Flying higher increases drift.
• Swath width: depends on model and droplet size; there must be no gaps between passes.
• Speed: higher speed means more capacity but less canopy penetration. Use lower speeds for fungicides.

3. Preparing the Tank Mix

Drones use far less water per hectare than tractor sprayers; depending on crop and product, most applications use roughly 10-30 litres of spray per hectare. The key rule: the label dose of product per area does not change; only the carrier water is reduced. The mix is therefore more concentrated.

• Pre-mix products in a separate container so powders do not settle in the tank.
• Test compatibility in a small container when mixing several products.
• Use clean water and fill through a strainer; most nozzle blockages come from dirty water.
• Always wear gloves, a mask and goggles.

4. Checking the Weather

Wind, temperature and humidity directly affect spray quality. As a rule, choose early morning or late afternoon with wind below 3 m/s (about 10 km/h) and moderate temperatures. See our guide to drone spraying and weather conditions for details.

5. Pre-Flight Checklist

• Arms locked, propellers intact and tight?
• Nozzles and strainers clean, flow even in a short test spray?
• Batteries charged, connectors clean?
• RTK link and satellite signal sufficient?
• Take-off area clear of people, animals and vehicles?

6. During the Flight

In automatic mode the drone flies the route; the pilot monitors flow, height and battery. Do not hesitate to stop if the wind picks up. When the tank is empty the drone saves its position and resumes from there after refilling. Plan edge passes with the wind direction in mind to keep spray off neighbouring fields.

7. After the Flight: Cleaning and Records

• Rinse the tank, pumps and nozzles with clean water, especially after herbicides.
• Wipe the body and radar surfaces. Models with a high IP rating can be washed with low-pressure water; do not spray directly at electrical connectors.
• Record the date, product, rate and area treated.

See also our farm drone maintenance tips.

Common Mistakes

• Reducing the product along with the water (only the water is reduced).
• Flying too high or in windy weather.
• Skipping or double-spraying field edges.
• Postponing tank cleaning, which can damage the next crop.

Which Drone to Start With?

For new operations, the high-capacity, easy-to-use DJI Agras T50 and the current Agras T55 are good starting points. See all options on our spraying and spreading drones page.