Drone Spraying for Cotton in California

Cotton applications center on plant growth regulation (PGR) through the season, insecticide for lygus, whitefly, and aphids, and the pre-harvest defoliation pass timed to cutout. The defoliation window is short — too early and yield drops, too late and the crop doesn't open evenly.

Drone application applies PGR and defoliant at a controlled volume per acre across the field, and it flies when the ground is too wet for a high-clearance sprayer.

Cotton fields are large and flat, so a drone's mapped, line-by-line flight gives even coverage across the whole field — no missed strips, no overlap.

PGR and defoliant timing is sensitive; a drone flies the pass on the right day regardless of ground moisture.

Virelo flies cotton fields across the San Joaquin Valley, timing PGR and defoliant passes to the exact crop stage. Our pilots coordinate with your PCA to time plant growth regulation through the season and the defoliation pass to cutout for even boll opening, and our GPS-guided flights apply a controlled volume per acre across large acreage with low drift.

On large, flat cotton fields, a drone's mapped, line-by-line flight gives even coverage across the whole field, with no missed strips and no overlap. A drone also flies when the ground is too wet for a high-clearance sprayer, which on irrigated cotton ground is often the day a PGR or defoliant pass is most needed, and the low flight height keeps product on the target.