Why Maize Foliar Applications Are a Good Fit for Drones
- Tim Govey
- Jul 7
- 7 min read
Updated: Aug 7
Maize is a crop where timing, access and crop protection can quickly become a challenge. Early in the season, most applications can be carried out using conventional machinery without too much difficulty. However, once the crop gets taller and the canopy starts to close over, physical access becomes more limited. At that point, every pass through the field has the potential to cause crop damage, soil disturbance and unnecessary stress to the plant.
This is where agricultural drones can offer a practical alternative. At Apex Agri Systems, we use heavy-lift agricultural drones to support growers with low-impact aerial application services, including foliar nutrition and biostimulant applications where suitable. For maize in particular, drone application can be a useful option when the crop is too tall, the ground is too wet, or when avoiding wheel damage is a priority.
The access problem in maize
Maize grows quickly once conditions are right. As the crop develops, it becomes increasingly difficult to travel through it without causing damage. A conventional sprayer may be highly efficient across open, accessible ground, but in taller maize the physical act of driving through the crop can become the limiting factor.
Wheelings can flatten plants, snap stems, damage leaves and create permanent tracks through the field. In some situations, the value of the crop lost or damaged by travelling through it can start to outweigh the convenience of using ground-based equipment.
Drones remove that issue because they do not need to drive across the field. The aircraft flies above the crop and applies the product from the air, meaning there is no wheel contact, no tramline damage and no soil compaction from the application itself.
For maize crops where late access is difficult, that can be a major advantage.
Reducing crop damage
One of the clearest benefits of using drones in maize is the ability to apply a product without physically touching the crop. Even where tramlines already exist, late-season travel can still cause additional damage, especially where headlands are tight, ground conditions are poor, or the crop has grown unevenly.
This matters commercially. A maize crop may look like a low-margin bulk crop from the outside, but small percentages of crop loss still carry a real value. For example, if a crop is worth around £1,600 per hectare, then just 1% crop loss is equivalent to £16 per hectare. Across 50 hectares, that becomes £800 of crop value lost. If the real loss from wheelings, headland damage or flattened crop is closer to 2–3%, the value at risk could rise to £1,600–£2,400 across the same area.
That figure is only an example, and the actual value depends on yield, crop use and market value. However, it shows the key point clearly: the cost of an application is not the only figure that matters. The value of the crop preserved also needs to be considered.
With drone application, there is no need to push a machine through tall plants. This can help reduce crop flattening from tyres, stem breakage, headland damage, soil rutting, compaction from machinery and unnecessary stress to the crop during key growth stages.
This does not mean drones are always the cheapest way to apply a product. In many broadacre situations, a self-propelled sprayer will still cover large areas quickly and economically. However, where access is difficult or crop damage is likely, a drone can be a much more suitable tool for the job.
The important point is not that drones replace sprayers altogether. It is that they give farmers another option when conventional access becomes a problem.
Working around wet ground
UK weather can make application timing difficult. Heavy rain, soft ground and short spray windows can all delay work. A field may be ready from a crop-growth point of view, but not trafficable enough for machinery.
Maize can be particularly awkward because once the crop is moving, the window for certain foliar applications can be narrow. Waiting for ground conditions to improve may mean missing the ideal timing.
A drone does not solve every weather issue. Wind, rain, product label restrictions and operational safety still matter. However, because the drone does not need to drive over the soil, it can provide more flexibility in situations where ground conditions are the main barrier. That flexibility can be valuable when the crop needs attention but the field is not suitable for machinery.
Better suited to awkward fields and smaller blocks
Not every field is ideal for large machinery. Some maize blocks have awkward shapes, tight gateways, small headlands, split boundaries, overhead obstacles, steep sections, wet corners or areas that are difficult to reach safely with a sprayer.
Drones are well suited to this type of work because they can be deployed flexibly and do not need the same physical access through the crop. A field still needs to be assessed properly before any operation, but the drone can often work around (or above) constraints that would be frustrating or inefficient for conventional equipment.
This is especially useful for:
Small blocks of maize, trial areas, awkward field corners, steep or sensitive ground, wet areas, and fields where machinery access is limited.
For some farms, the drone may be used across a whole block. For others, it may be used only where the conventional sprayer is not the best option. That mixed approach is often the most realistic and cost-effective way to use drone technology.
Foliar nutrition and biostimulant applications
Foliar applications are commonly used to support crop growth, address nutrient demand, or apply specific crop-support products at key timings. In maize, these applications may be used as part of a wider crop nutrition plan, depending on crop condition, soil status, product choice and agronomist recommendation.
Drone application can be useful where a foliar product needs to be applied after the crop has become difficult to access. The drone can apply the product from above the canopy without creating new wheelings or damaging the crop.
Before any job, the product, application rate, water volume, crop stage and label guidance all need to be checked. Not every product is suitable for drone application, and regulatory compliance must always come first. The drone is simply the application tool; the agronomic decision still needs to be based on the crop, the product and the intended result.
Drone application results from 2025 have shown an average of 8-10% increase in total plant yield, plus 10% increase in cob weight. This is due to the ability to access late stage crop development tied into with the lack of crop damage whilst carrying out the application.
At Apex Agri Systems, we work with farmers, growers and agronomists to understand the job before we arrive on site. That includes the area to be treated, product requirements, water rates, access points, obstacles, nearby sensitive areas and operational constraints.
Lower impact on the field
Soil structure is one of the most valuable assets on a farm. Repeated trafficking can contribute to compaction, rutting and reduced infiltration, particularly when ground conditions are wet or marginal.
Because drones operate from the air, they do not add compaction to the treated area. There is still vehicle movement at the field edge for water, mixing, batteries and support equipment, but the application itself does not require a machine to travel through the crop.
For farmers looking to reduce unnecessary field traffic, this is one of the strongest arguments for drone use.
It is not only about the visible damage above ground. Avoiding traffic can also help protect soil structure below the surface, particularly where conditions are not suitable for heavy machinery.
Useful for demonstration and trial work
Maize foliar applications are also a good fit for drone-based trial work. If a farmer, agronomist or product supplier wants to test a product on a smaller area, drones can be a practical way to apply it without needing to set up a full-size sprayer for a limited block.
This can be useful for:
Product demonstrations, side-by-side comparisons, small trial plots, late-season test areas, and fields where conventional access would damage the trial itself.
A drone can provide a controlled, documented application, with field maps, treated areas and flight records available after the job. This gives farmers and agronomists a clearer record of what was applied, where it was applied and when it was completed.
Get in touch with Apex Agri Systems today to book in a trial run. We can show you the kit in action and run through your requirements to ensure you get the best application possible.
Proof of work and field records
Modern farming increasingly depends on good records. With drone application, flight data and application information can be recorded as part of the job. This can help provide a clear overview of the treated area and support better communication between the farmer, contractor and agronomist.
For maize foliar work, this can include:
Field boundaries, area treated, product details, application date, water rate, weather conditions, flight records and job notes.
This level of documentation is useful not only for compliance, but also for reviewing performance and planning future applications.
Where drones make the most sense
Drone application is not about replacing every existing machine on the farm. A self-propelled sprayer will still be the most efficient option for many large, straightforward applications where ground conditions are good and crop access is not an issue.
Drones make the most sense where there is a clear reason to avoid ground travel or where conventional machinery is restricted.
For maize, that usually means:
The crop is too tall for comfortable access, ground conditions are too wet, crop damage from wheeling's is a concern, the field is awkward or sensitive, the application area is small or targeted, timing is critical, or a trial application needs to be carried out cleanly and efficiently.
In these situations, the drone is not just a novelty. It becomes a practical tool that solves a real access problem.
A flexible tool for modern maize growers
Maize production often comes down to good timing and good decision-making. When the crop needs an application, but the field is difficult to access, a drone gives growers another option.
The main benefits are simple:
No wheel damage through the crop, reduced soil disturbance, improved access in difficult conditions, flexible deployment, useful records and the ability to treat areas that may otherwise be missed or delayed.
For farmers, contractors and agronomists, the value of drone application is not only in how it applies a product. It is in when and where it can apply it.
As maize crops become taller and application windows become tighter, heavy-lift agricultural drones can provide a low-impact, flexible and practical way to get the job done.
Apex Agri Systems provides agricultural drone services for maize, cover crops, foliar applications, crop support work and specialist access jobs across Wiltshire and the surrounding counties. If you are considering a maize foliar application and want to avoid unnecessary crop damage, we can assess the field, review the operation and advise whether drone application is a suitable option.
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