Ag Drone Spraying in Lincoln County, OK for Hay, Pasture and Pecans

Ag drone spraying prices in Lincoln County

Ag drone spraying in Lincoln County, OK is billed per acre, per pass, application only. Oklahoma drone rates run about $8–16 per acre, with $12 typical in 2026, and one pasture operator serving the county quotes $12–15. Our rates:

Service	Typical rate	Notes
Hay and pasture weeds	from $11/acre	Broadleaves, brush seedlings
Fall armyworm in hay	from $11/acre	At threshold
Wheat and soybeans	from $12/acre	Where labeled for aerial use
Pecan orchards	from $16/acre	Higher spray volume

Fields under 20 acres are billed as 20 acres, and neighbors can share a trip. Product is billed separately. Quotes reflect tree cover, creeks and ponds nearby, field size and the spray volume on the label.

Hay and cattle county

Lincoln County had 2,153 farms on 403,113 acres in the 2022 Census of Agriculture, averaging 187 acres, with $45.1 million in sales, 82% from livestock.

Crop or livestock	2022
Hay and forage	62,325 acres
Wheat	981 acres
Soybeans	744 acres
Cattle and calves	65,604 head
Horses	2,883 head

The county ranked ninth in Oklahoma for hay and other crops, seventh for horses and tenth for milk. About 40% of farms run 50–179 acres, so ag drone spraying in Lincoln County is mostly bermudagrass hay meadows and pasture broken by timber.

The Pecan Capital

In 1949 the Oklahoma legislature named Chandler the Pecan Capital of the World, and the St. Cloud Hotel once housed a pecan plant shipping to 30 states. Oklahoma typically produces about 17 million pounds of pecans a year, with about 22 million estimated in 2023. One Chandler-area grower runs about 50 acres of pecans with 800–900 trees and plans to expand, and a drone covers tree rows and wet orchard floors without a sprayer in the grove.

Fall armyworm in pasture and hay

OSU entomologists suggest treating pasture and hay at about three to four larvae per square foot once larvae reach about half an inch, and wheat at three to four per foot of row. Most feeding happens in the last two instars, over three or four days, so timing matters. Fall armyworm doesn't overwinter in Oklahoma; the first killing frost ends the threat.

Cross Timbers and eastern redcedar

The eastern county lies in the Cross Timbers, post oak and blackjack forest with some oaks around 400 years old, and the west in the Red Bed Plains. Without fire, eastern redcedar has spread across much of the region, and Oklahoma loses an estimated 300,000 acres a year to cedar encroachment. The Oklahoma Conservation Commission's cost share pays up to $50,000 for large tracts, and in February 2026 it watched a drone apply herbicide pellets to cedars in a demonstration near Blanchard. Drones spot-treat young cedars and regrowth between burns.

Spray weather from the Mesonet

The Oklahoma Mesonet's Drift Risk Advisor lets applicators set wind, temperature, humidity and rain limits from the label and check current, forecast or past conditions across 120 sites. It recommends extra caution below 50% relative humidity, especially above 75°F. Crews check it before every job and fly the calmest windows.

Sac and Fox and Iowa tribal lands

The Sac and Fox Nation, headquartered in Stroud, and the Iowa Tribe both have jurisdiction in Lincoln County. Under EPA's plan, restricted-use pesticide applications in Indian country need EPA certification based on a valid certification from a bordering state. Operators confirm tribal, EPA and state requirements before any job on trust land.

The Deep Fork

The Deep Fork of the Canadian River drains the county on its 230-mile run from Oklahoma City to Eufaula Lake, passing Wellston, Warwick and Sparks. Operators map the river, its creeks and stock ponds as no-spray zones and use only products labeled for use near water.

From cotton to cattle

Opened in the 1891 Land Run, the county was one of Oklahoma's top two cotton counties in the 1900s before cattle and pecans took over by the late 1930s. It covers 966 square miles and had 33,458 residents in 2020.

Field conditions

Field condition	Ground sprayer	Spray drone
Pecan groves after rain	Ruts, stuck rigs	No soil contact
Hay meadows between timber	Missed corners	Mapped edges
Brushy, rocky pasture	Rough ride	Follows terrain
Pastures along creeks	Drift concerns	Mapped buffers

A Lincoln County spray year

Window	Typical drone work
March to April	Pasture broadleaf weeds, wheat
May to June	Hay meadow weeds before first cutting
Summer	Pecan passes on the grower's program
August to October	Fall armyworm scouting and treatment
Winter	Cedar spot treatments between burns

Licensing and airspace

The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry (ODAFF) licenses commercial drone applicators under its aerial category, and the business holds an FAA Part 137 certificate with Part 107 pilots. Chandler Regional Airport sits about three miles northeast of town with a 4,000-foot runway, so crews check airspace for fields nearby. OSU Extension in Chandler offers soil, forage and water testing.