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The rapid adoption of drones to do a variety of tasks is shaking up agriculture more than almost any previous technological advance, according to a study recently published in the journal Science.
“Agricultural drones are now akin to flying tractors – multifunctional machines that can perform numerous tasks using different hardware attachments,” wrote Ben Belton, a professor of international development, and Leo Baldiga, a Ph.D. student in geography, environmental and spatial sciences at Michigan State University, in an article in The Conversation describing their research.
Farmers around the world are using drones to spray crops, spread fertilizer, sow seeds, transport produce, dispense fish feed, paint greenhouses, monitor livestock, map fields and drainage and track crop health, they wrote.
China leads the world when it comes to agricultural-drone manufacturing and adoption, with more than 250,000 in use. In the U.S., the number of agricultural drones registered with the Federal Aviation Authority jumped from around 1,000 in January 2024 to around 5,500 by mid-2025, the authors said.
The upside of the drone revolution is that they can spray chemicals and spread fertilizers and seeds evenly and efficiently, resulting in less waste. They may also cause less damage to crops in the field and consume less energy than tractors and other large farm machines. Taken together, these factors may increase the amount of food that can be produced on each acre of land, while reducing the resources needed to do so. That’s the “holy grail” for agricultural scientists, who refer to such an outcome as “sustainable intensification,” the authors noted.
But it’s too early to draw solid conclusions, they said, noting that much of the evidence so far on yield gains from drone-assisted farming is anecdotal, or based on small studies or industry reports.
“Early signs point to big benefits: greater efficiency, safer working conditions and improved rural livelihoods,” they wrote. “But the full picture isn’t clear yet.”
EU set to relax green rules in farm subsidy overhaul
The European Union appears on track to weaken environmental standards as part of a plan to cut back regulations and paperwork for farmers, Reuters reported Tuesday.
The plan, part of a provisional agreement between the European Parliament and EU member states, would exempt smaller producers from baseline requirements that tie subsidies to efforts to protect the environment, while the EU would increase the payments they can receive, the report said.