Vineyard spraying by drone
We spray vineyards by drone as soon as the access road to the vineyard has dried after rain, without waiting for the mud between the rows to dry out. We apply fungicides against downy and powdery mildew, insecticides and foliar feeds. The price is €30 to €35 per hectare, and a package of 5 treatments saves 10%.
Which vineyards the drone is for
We spray vineyards in every training system by drone, with no technical restrictions. Plots of 10 ha or more we take anywhere in Serbia, and travel within 50 km of Opovo is free. Smaller plots we only take within 20 km of Opovo.
Our DJI Agras T70P has a dedicated mode for flying over hilly ground and orchards, but it calls for extra care where the slope is steeper than 3° (DJI Agras T70P user manual). So please describe the layout of your vineyard when you call.
A vineyard needs a lot of treatments in a season, so we offer treatment packages: 3 treatments on the same plot get 5% off, and 5 or more get 10% off.
How the drone protects the grapevine
The drone flies about 3 metres above the vines, and the strong airflow from the rotors drives the droplets down to the lower leaves and into the canopy. The system produces droplets of 50 to 500 microns (DJI figure), which gives good coverage. Our agronomist Nikola always mixes the product himself, at the plot, as agreed with you beforehand.
Because of its leaf mass, a vineyard needs more water than field crops (which use 15 to 20 L/ha on average). The exact volume depends on the operation and the growth stage of the vine. More water means more landings to refill the tank, so treating permanent crops costs more than field crops. We agree the exact rate when you call.
We work in wind speeds of 3 to 5 m/s. For products prone to drift we follow the equipment maker's advice and fly only when the wind is below 3 m/s. If the wind picks up during the job, we stop flying and carry on once conditions settle. More on this: drift in drone spraying.
When to spray grapevines: downy mildew, powdery mildew, grey mould
Your agronomist draws up the vine protection programme, and we time each visit by PIS warnings (Plant Protection Forecasting and Reporting Service of Vojvodina) and the actual state of your vineyard. The agronomist chooses the product and rate strictly by the label.
Downy mildew: primary infection needs the conditions known in practice as the "three tens" rule: an average daily temperature of 10 °C for three days running, 10 mm of rain in the last 24 hours and shoots 10 cm long. For each further (secondary) infection, the leaf only has to stay wet for 2 to 2.5 hours at 12 °C or more. To prevent infection, the leaf must be protected with a fungicide in time (ADAMA Serbia, grapevine protection programme). So after rain, protection cannot wait for the mud between the rows to dry: the drone works as soon as the road to the edge of the plot is passable.
Powdery mildew: it appears from early spring and develops actively at 5 to 35 °C (most intensively between 20 and 28 °C). Protection has to start early to stop the disease spreading to the bunches (ADAMA).
Last spray: it is set only by the pre-harvest interval (PHI), the time that must pass between spraying and picking. Depending on the product and the programme (for example Galenika Fitofarmacija), the PHI ranges from 1 to 56 days. For some fungicides, advisory services recommend 7 days for table grapes and 21 days for wine grapes (Agro Info Net). The label sets the limits. Both terms are explained in detail here: pre-harvest and re-entry intervals.
Before any insecticide application we inform local beekeepers so they can shut their hives in time.
Vineyard spraying calendar
These timings are general agricultural practice. The exact day each season is set by PIS warnings, the growth stage of the vine and your adviser.
| Treatment | When | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Powdery mildew, first treatment | Bud swell, early spring | Galenika, ADAMA |
| Downy and powdery mildew | Shoots 5 to 10 cm, then 20 to 30 cm | Galenika |
| Downy and powdery mildew | Before flowering and at the end of flowering | Galenika |
| Grey mould | 5 to 10% cap fall; bunch closure; start of veraison | ADAMA |
| European grapevine moth | Before the larvae bore into the berries (second and third generation) | ADAMA |
| Late summer treatments | 10 to 14 days after the previous one (late June, mid-July) | Galenika |
| Leafhopper (flavescence dorée) | On PIS warning | PIS Vojvodina |
| Foliar feeding | As the agronomist advises, avoiding extreme heat |
We do all of these treatments by drone. Herbicides we apply only as a last resort, because drift can easily damage neighbouring crops.
What vineyard spraying by drone costs
Vineyard spraying costs €35/ha up to 20 ha, €32/ha for 20 to 100 ha and €30/ha above 100 ha. That is the field-crop base price (€25, €22 and €20) plus the standard €10 per hectare surcharge for permanent crops. Foliar feeding costs the same. Travel within 50 km of Opovo is free; beyond 50 km we charge €1 per extra kilometre, one way. You supply the product and the water.
Example: 15 ha of vineyard near Irig (95 km from Opovo), with a package of 5 treatments.
| 5 treatments × 15 ha × €35 | €2,625 |
|---|---|
| First hectare free (on the first treatment) | −€35 |
| Package discount (10% of the remaining €2,590) | −€259 |
| Travel (5 visits × 45 km beyond 50 km × €1) | €225 |
| Total | €2,556 |
That averages €511.20 per treatment. You pay in stages, after each completed treatment, not in advance. Clients with a package get priority when booking dates throughout the season.
What will spraying your field cost?
Pick the service, the crop and the place. You see the price at once, with travel and discounts.
Road distances: © OpenStreetMap contributors
Estimated price
Enter the area and choose the place to see the price here.
Questions about vineyard spraying by drone
The drone has a mode for flying over hilly ground, but the manual calls for extra care and a check of the terrain where the slope is steeper than 3°. Describe the layout of the plot when you call, and we will confirm straight away whether we can do the job.
As often as your protection programme requires. The drone flies on every agreed date when the wind allows. After flowering, treatments are usually 10 to 14 days apart (Galenika Fitofarmacija). If you book 5 or more treatments, you get 10% off.
The price is €35 (up to 20 ha), €32 (20 to 100 ha) and €30 (above 100 ha), with the permanent-crop surcharge already included. New clients get the first hectare free on a first order of at least 10 ha. Check the exact price in the calculator.
How well a product resists wash-off depends only on its formulation, not on whether it was applied by drone or tractor. For copper products, the agricultural advisory service in Prokuplje (PSS Prokuplje) recommends WG formulations because they wash off less easily (Agro Info Net). Your agronomist makes the final call on whether the treatment needs repeating.
Vineyards of 10 ha or more we take anywhere in Serbia. Smaller plots we only take within 20 km of Opovo. For hobby vineyards we recommend following your local advisory service and the treatment calendar.
- First hectare free
- Free travel within 50 km
Book vineyard spraying by drone
Tell us the location, the total area, the training system and the slope of the plot. We agree package dates in advance and time each visit by PIS warnings and the wind forecast. The first hectare on a first order of 10 ha is free.