Agri-Drone Case Studies
Aerial drones can make a real difference to sectors such as agriculture, horticulture, forestry, utility & amenity sites. See below for success stories across various sectors
Drone Inter-Sowing Delivers Fourfold Growth Advantage
Fellow operator, Frazor Bloor of Aerial Applications (Cheshire) inter-sowed a stubble turnip cover crop four weeks earlier than a tractor could access the field. He broadcast the seed two weeks before harvest, taking advantage of open crop canopies and ideal soil moisture.
A tractor-mounted drill, by contrast, could not enter the field until two weeks after harvest—one month later than the drone application.
When Frazor returned in October to assess the results, the difference was striking. The drone-sown crop had achieved a significant early-growth advantage, measuring four times larger than the crop established using conventional machinery. The farmer described the drone-applied results as “brilliant!”
This case demonstrates benefits of early inter-sowing and the ability of aerial drones to seize narrow agronomic windows—delivering stronger establishment, faster biomass accumulation and superior cover crop performance.
UK’s First Aerial Pod Sealant Application Using Autonomous Drones
In July 2025, Autospray Systems (UK importers of XAG drones) partnered with De Sangosse (manufacturers of Pod Stik) to carry out the UK’s first aerial Pod Sealant trial in field beans using an autonomous agricultural drone.
Pod-Stik is used as a pre-harvest aid to minimise pod shatter losses both in the run-up to harvest and during combining. Applying it at the right time is crucial—making drones an ideal tool where weather windows are tight and crop canopies are sensitive.
During the trial, the team tested multiple application rates, flight speeds and spray heights, then assessed coverage and penetration using ultraviolet light analysis.
The results were highly encouraging, showing excellent Pod-Stik deposition on both the upper and lower surfaces of the pods—a level of canopy penetration difficult to achieve with ground-based equipment.
The host farmer was impressed, commenting:
“I cannot see how we would achieve that level of coverage with a conventional sprayer.”
The trial demonstrates how autonomous drones can deliver accurate, consistent, and timely pod-sealant applications—opening the door for more efficient, less invasive pre-harvest treatments.
A 4-minute video of the trial is available here:
Cleaning Algae off Greenhouse Glass
Aerial drones are a safe, quick and affordable method for removing algae off greenhouse glass.
The before and after images show what is possible. The product is best applied in dry conditions and allow a period of 7 days or so to take effect, with a good rainfall much of the grime will wash off naturally.
Aerial drones can improve safety across multiple industries
White paper reports from both PWC in 2025 and AutoSpray Systems in 2026 conclude that drones improve safety in the work place by removing operators from certain tasks in industries such as agriculture, horticulture and forestry. This is supported by underwriting insurers data demonstrating that claims from drone operations globally are extremely low and further supported by drone manufacturers data. Drones remove more risks than they introduce - a net gain on safety.
https://www.pwc.co.uk/intelligent-digital/drones/drone-regulations-and-net-risk.pdf
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https://autospraysystems.com/resources/policy-regulation/applying-net-risk/
(download the document)
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