Around 400,000 DJI ag spray drones were estimated to be in use globally at the end of 2024, up 33% vs 2023, and up 90% vs 2020, according to a new report from the China-based company.
The findings, presented at the agtech trade show Agrishow 2025 in São Paulo, Brazil, reveal “a maturing global industry,” claims DJI, which says more countries are now “transitioning from limited testing to formal application, while others are expanding from single-crop applications to broader applications across various crops.
“This is largely thanks to smarter rules by local aviation authorities,” says DJI, which says its drones now spray 300 crops in 100 countries.
“For example, Argentina reduced restrictions for drone deployment in agricultural areas, while Spain simplified the approval process for using agricultural drones. At the same time, some countries, like Brazil, have further standardized the process for pilot training, thereby making it easier for people to operate spray drones legally.”
There has also been an “influx of more young pilots and an increasing number of women joining the agricultural drone industry,” claims DJI, which says drones are increasingly being used to complement traditional ground spraying systems for difficult-to-reach areas, soggy ground, or areas where greater precision is required than can be delivered by manned aerial spraying vehicles such as planes and helicopters.
Case studies
Key developments over the past year include trials on coffee plantations in Brazil using DJI Agras T40 and T50 drones to apply pesticides, fungicides, and foliar fertilizers, slashing operational costs for coffee bean growers by 70% vs manual spraying and 50% versus tractor spraying.
A case study in Romania showed how DJI’s Agras T50 drone enabled an elderly vineyard owner to halve his chemical usage and more effectively treat crops on his sloped terrain, while desiccation (drying) tests on sunflowers in East Kazakhstan showed reductions in chemical costs and seed moisture levels.
As for its models, DJI has continued to optimize nozzle designs and airflow dynamics on its drones to minimize drift, says the firm, which has conducted multiple tests with global partners over the past three years.
These show that DJI drones exhibit similar drift patterns to large ground-based equipment, less drift than traditional crop-dusting aircraft, and slightly more than small ground-based equipment such as backpack sprayers and small boom sprayers, says the firm.
A cloud over the US market?
A DJI spokesperson told AgFunderNews: “Outside of China, we are seeing the most significant growth in agricultural drone usage in the Americas—North America, Central America, and South America—and Southeast Asia. Our focus is on regions with the highest growth potential, specifically the Americas and Southeast Asia.”
Asked whether the Trump Administration’s 145% import tax on goods coming into the US from China had effectively stymied DJI’s progress in the US market, the spokesperson added: “We are continually monitoring and assessing market conditions as they evolve, and will adapt our approach accordingly. We aim to keep our pricing as reasonable as possible.”
‘We remain committed to the US market’
As for attempts by some US lawmakers to restrict the US activities of Chinese drone makers amid national security concerns (which DJI says are misplaced), the spokesperson added: “We remain committed to the US market and continue to focus on meeting the growing demand for DJI agricultural drones and related products at the best possible price.”
In public comments to the US Dept of Commerce, the American Spray Drone Coalition issued a stark warning should Chinese drone makers be added to the FCC’s “covered list” of communications equipment and services “deemed to pose an unacceptable risk” to US national security.
“If actions being contemplated [by the Dept. of Commerce]… have immediate effect on all drones originating from China, components from China, or from companies domiciled in China, 90% of the spray drone industry supply [to the US market] would be eliminated.”
‘Made in America’
US ag drone makers, meanwhile, have been building their capabilities in recent years, with Massachusetts-based Guardian Agriculture developing larger, more robust drones with a large payload capacity and coverage area per hour designed for large US farms.
The firm, which has a partnership with ag retailer Wilbur-Ellis, says the tech will be made available to customers in Salinas, Yuma, and Coachella this year.
Texas-based drone maker Hylio, meanwhile, recently raised $2.6 million on equity crowdfunding platform StartEngine to expand production at a new facility capable of producing 5,000+ drones a year at full capacity.
Both farms are positioning themselves as a ‘Made in America’ option for US farmers in an “evolving trade environment.”
Finally, ag retailer Heinen Brothers Agra Services—best-known for manned crop spraying airplanes—is also pushing into the unmanned space via a new subsidiary called Kelly Hills Unmanned Systems, pitched as “the most advanced aerial and ground-based agricultural robotics enablement platform in the world.”
Kelly Hills is the first US customer for Pyka’s Pelican Spray, the largest unmanned aircraft system (UAS) authorized by the Federal Aviation Administration for commercial use, Heinen Bros CTO Lukas Koch told AgFunderNews last fall.
“We see the potential for UAS to revolutionize our industry, offering significant cost-saving benefits to American farmers. Pelican Spray is the first autonomous agricultural solution that delivers the necessary work rate and spray performance needed to provide a viable commercial solution to begin augmenting our current fleet.”
