When Corteva Agriscience needed to expand their spray drone trials from small research plots to a full-scale farm setting, working with EMILI at Innovation Farms powered by AgExpert during the 2025 growing season provided multiple benefits.
“Working with EMILI at Innovation Farms has been a game-changer for us,” said Corteva Field Modernization Scientist Kevin Falk.
While flying his DJI Agras T50 precision spray drone over Innovation Farms, Falk is developing a research methodology for using spray drones for small plot trials. He is also assessing how well Corteva crop health products perform when applied by drones compared to conventional methods such as tractor-mounted sprayers or hand booms.
Through this research Falk hopes to gain a better understanding of how to configure flight paths for small plots, what the optimal water volume, droplet size, and flight altitude is, and how to maintain spray quality and consistency across treatments.
“The Innovation Farms site provides a unique opportunity to test multiple products across different crops in a single location; conduct large-plot trials that mimic commercial farming conditions; access harvest equipment to collect yield data; and engage with growers and industry partners to better understand the perceived value of drone technology,” he said.
EMILI’s Innovation Farms Manager Leanne Koroscil is glad to see the data from Innovation Farms contributing to this research.
“Corteva has already seen success having one herbicide application approved by Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency. The next step is to have one approved for use in agriculture,” said Koroscil. “This project is laying the groundwork for a better understanding of how spray drone applications impact crops and could be an important milestone for spray drone use in Canada.”
While researchers like Falk can obtain permits, there are currently no pesticides approved for agricultural drone application in Canada. The data collected in field trials on Innovation Farms may change this.
Developing a research methodology to assess how well products perform when applied by drone could enable two Corteva fungicides and one herbicide to be eligible for spray drone application in the near future.
“Testing in real-world conditions at Innovation Farms allows us to validate both our products and the drone application technology under realistic farm conditions,” said Falk. “The chance to run large-scale trials over Innovation Farms allowed us to collect not only efficacy data but also yield data using commercial harvesting equipment. This is critical because it helps us understand the agronomic and economic impact of drone applications in a real-world setting.”
Corteva Spray Drone (DJI Agras T40) on Innovation Farms. Photo Credit: EMILI
The drone is equipped with technology that allows Falk to pre-program flight paths and application parameters. This ensures each field trial is highly precise and repeatable.
“This is critical for research purposes,” said Falk. “Ultimately, the goal is to create a standardized system that our scientists worldwide can adopt, enabling consistent, high-quality drone-based trials across different geographies.”.
Corteva is running similar trials across North America, including multiple sites in Canada and the U.S. This allows Falk to collaborate and share insights gained at Innovation Farms with teams in other regions to ensure his findings are relevant across different crops, climates, and farming systems.
The use of spray drones is growing rapidly. The latest study by DJI cited 400,000 users across the globe, a 90% increase since DJI’s initial study in 2020. There are a few reasons modern agriculture may be eager to embrace drones.
Spray drones are highly automated. Once programmed, they can operate with minimal supervision, reducing labor requirements.
Drones can access rugged terrain and remote areas without causing soil compaction or crop damage, providing a precise, low impact alternative to planes or ground rigs.
Drones also offer a lower-cost entry point for smaller farms or specialized applications, such as industrial vegetation management or pastureland weed control. As a point of reference, Falk’s DJI Agras T50 is valued at approximately $30,000 while a John Deere 600 series sprayer can cost as much as $600,000.
Falk says spray drones are a powerful tool, but not a one-size-fits-all solution.
“We’re still in the early stages of understanding where they fit best, how to optimize spray quality, and how to ensure consistent results. The technology is evolving rapidly, with new models and features emerging every year,” he said..
While he will let the data speak for itself, Falk feels hopeful.
“I believe autonomous applications will play a significant role in the future of agriculture, and our work today is laying the foundation for that future,” he said.
Falk will be speaking on a panel on spray drone and emerging agtech regulations at EMILI’s Agriculture Enlightened Conference taking place Thursday, October 23, in Winnipeg.