By Scout Nelson
A new study from South Dakota State University's Ness School of Management and Economics found that about a quarter of surveyed farmers in Eastern South Dakota have adopted drone technology.
The research comes from a 2025 mail survey of corn and soybean farmers in Eastern South Dakota. Tong Wang, professor and SDSU Extension specialist at the Ness School, led the research team, which analyzed responses from 595 farmers. The findings were published in the journal Precision Agriculture.
Farmers mainly use drones for crop monitoring and input application. Drones can capture aerial images to help identify crop health problems, nutrient deficiencies, and disease. They can also apply fertilizer, pesticides, and herbicides using GPS-guided precision.
Among surveyed drone users, 11% use drones only for imagery, 6% use them only for input application, and 7% use both. Application drones are a newer and faster-growing technology.
"(Unmanned aerial vehicle) is more widely adopted for imagery than for input application in the U.S. because the former became commercially available at an earlier date," Wang explained.
The financial return from drones varies. The study estimates an initial investment of about $4,391, followed by annual costs of about $2,685 and an additional $52 per flight. Some farmers report higher profits, but many are unsure whether drones improve their farm income.
"Drone adoption is growing in South Dakota, but many farmers are still not sure if it is actually paying off," said Akinsola Oyebanji, a graduate research assistant in the Ness School and a co-author of the study. "Closing that gap with better outreach and economic guidance could make a real difference in helping farmers decide if this technology is right for their operation."
The research finds that larger farms, higher education levels, off-farm income, and challenging soil conditions can influence drone adoption. Farmers using conservation practices such as reduced tillage and biofertilizers are also more likely to adopt drone imagery.
"Higher education equips farmers with more knowledge, skills and resources to effectively learn and interpret the output of complex technologies such as UAV for decision-making," Wang and her co-authors wrote. "Farmers with higher education are typically more receptive to new technologies."
Researchers also point to financial barriers, especially for younger farmers.
The study's co-authors include Akinsola Oyebanji, Wajdi Belgacem, and David Clay. The research was funded by the South Dakota Soybean Research and Promotion Council, South Dakota Corn Utilization Board, and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Conservation Innovation Grants program.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-seregalsv
Categories: South Dakota, General