Practices and Awareness of Drone-Based Pesticide Application Service Providers in Türkiye: A Survey Study

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are increasingly used for pesticide application due to their operational flexibility, high field capacity, and ability to operate without direct contact with crops or soil. However, information regarding the actual field practices of commercial UAV spraying service providers remains limited. This study aimed to characterize current commercial UAV spraying practices, operational parameters, technical constraints, and environmental risk awareness in Türkiye through a cross-sectional descriptive survey of 71 active operators in May to August 2026. UAV spraying reached a considerable operational scale, with 67.1% of service providers treating ≥500 ha annually, mainly in wheat (88.4%) and maize (76.8%). Most operators used flight heights of 2–4 m (85.9%), speeds >5 m s⁻¹ (57.1%), and application rate of 10–30 L ha⁻¹ (88.7%).Only 14.1% performed calibration before every application. Wind-induced drift (80.3%) and limited battery life (64.8%) were the main operational constraints, while spraying-system failures were the most frequently reported technical problem (57.7%). Although wind speed was considered by 98.6% of operators, relative humidity was considered by only 16.9%. Applications were frequently conducted in or near areas with beekeeping activities (78.6%) and residential areas (61.4%). UAV spraying is now used on a considerable scale in Türkiye and has become an important part of the digitalization of agriculture. However, current field practices do not always follow the recommended application conditions, indicating a need for better standardization. Further development of UAV-specific technical standards, pesticide application and dose guidelines, operator training, and field-based R&D is therefore needed to improve application performance, reduce environmental risks, and ensure the safe and sustainable use of UAVs in agricultural spraying.