Foliar feeding by drone

When foliar feeding helps

The leaf takes up a solution much faster than the roots draw nutrients from dry soil, but this way the plant can only absorb limited amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (Agroklub). That makes foliar feeding a supplement, not a replacement for base fertilisation. It works best for micronutrients and for a quick response when the roots take up little, because of cold, drought or herbicide stress (AgriNova).

If your wheat needs nitrogen spread, we do that as fertiliser spreading by drone. For micronutrients or a quick correction during the season, foliar feeding is the answer.

More in our article: Foliar feeding: what it is and when to do it.

When to feed through the leaf

The timings below are general farming practice and can vary from year to year. Your agronomist decides the exact timing and the product.

Sources and field recommendations: AgriNova for field crops, fruit and vegetables; PSSS Šabac (Šabac agricultural advisory service) for wheat at tillering and flag leaf. More: wheat protection and feeding, drone spraying of maize.

Time of day and temperature

As a general rule, treatments are done early in the morning or towards evening, at 15 to 25 °C (AgriNova). Above 24 °C the stomata of some plants close and uptake falls sharply (Agroklub). That is why we never work in the heat of the day: the feed would have no effect. If rain is expected within 2 to 4 hours, the treatment is postponed, depending on the product's formulation.

Why foliar feeding by drone

• No crop trampling. In a dense crop without tramlines, a tractor destroys 5 to 6% of the plants. The drone flies 3 metres up and does the job even when the crop is over 1.5 m tall.
• The solution reaches the lower leaves. The strong downdraft from the rotors pushes fine droplets deep into the crop, so the feed covers the whole leaf mass, not just the tops of the plants.
• No waiting for the field to dry. After rain, only the access road to the field needs to dry. With the fields close together, we treat about 20 hectares an hour.

Water and solution strength

The drone sprays field crops with 15 to 20 litres of water per hectare; a tractor sprayer uses 200 to 300 litres (AgriNova). The same amount of nutrient in much less water gives a more concentrated solution, and a mix that is too strong can scorch the leaf. So we keep strictly to the label rates and your agronomist's advice. Your agronomist confirms in advance that the product can be applied in low water volumes.

Can feeding go in the same pass as crop protection?

That depends on the product: tank-mix compatibility is always stated on the label. If it isn't clear, the expert advice is to apply the treatments separately (for example, protection today and feeding 48 hours later), or to test the mix first in a small container. If the liquid curdles or separates into layers, the mix does not go into the drone's tank (AgriNova). Your agronomist always makes the final call.

Price of foliar feeding by drone

Foliar feeding costs the same as crop protection: €25/ha up to 20 ha, €22/ha from 20 to 100 ha and €20/ha above 100 ha. You supply the product and the water. Orchards, vineyards and vegetables carry a €10/ha surcharge, because they take more water and extra flights.

Worked example: 40 ha of wheat, 35 km from Opovo, a new client's first order. 40 ha × €22 = €880, minus €22 for the free first hectare = €858 in total. Travel within 50 km is free.

If we do three treatments on the same field in a season (for example fungicide, insecticide and foliar feed), you qualify for a package with 5% off; five or more treatments get 10% off. See the full price list here.

Drone spraying and the crops we cover are on the home page.