Drone and Adjuvant Experts Zero In On Strategy, Regulations, and More
7 October 2026 In a recent AgriBusiness Global LIVE! webinar, drones and adjuvants experts dove deep into what’s driving drone adoption; market opportunities and updates on where the industry is for adjuvant drone formulation with synthetics and biologicals; what opportunities remain for this market; and how companies can position themselves as a main player.
The panelists included Dr. Darryl Ramoutar, Global Technical Director, Agriculture, gChem; Greg Lindner, Technical Business Development Director, Croda Agriculture; Rachael Lowe, Senior Crop Protection Analyst, AgbioInvestor; and Amro Ni, International Sales Director, XAG.
In the Q+A segment, several panelists answered attendees’ questions about drone strategy, lingering misconceptions about the segment, and more.
Q: What is the biggest misconception the crop protection industry still has about drone spraying?
Rachael Lowe: One of the biggest misconceptions is that drone spraying can simply be treated as a smaller-scale version of conventional aerial or ground application. In practice, drones often operate with much lower spray volumes, different droplet characteristics, and different application patterns, which can affect product performance and coverage. This means that products, formulations, and application recommendations developed for conventional spraying may not always translate directly to drones. The industry therefore needs to think about drone application as a distinct use case, particularly in terms of formulation, dose, spray volume, deposition, and regulatory requirements.
Q: What’s one piece of advice you would give to crop protection companies that are just beginning to develop a drone strategy?
RL: I would suggest starting with the agronomic problem rather than the drone itself. Companies should identify where drone application offers a genuine advantage; for example, where field access is difficult, labor availability is limited, terrain is challenging, or rapid and targeted treatment is particularly valuable.
From there, the focus should be on understanding how existing products perform under drone application conditions and whether formulations, labels, or application guidance need to be adapted. Working closely with drone manufacturers, applicators, and regulators is also important, as the development of the technology and the regulatory framework are closely linked.
Q: As drone spraying regulations mature, what role do you see adjuvant and formulation technologies playing in helping growers achieve both regulatory compliance and improved spray performance, and where are the biggest opportunities for innovation?
Darryl Ramoutar: As drone spraying regulations mature, adjuvants will play an increasingly important role in helping applicators achieve both regulatory compliance and biological performance by improving deposition, reducing drift, minimizing evaporation, enhancing retention, and increasing coverage under the ultra-low-volume conditions typical of drone applications. The most important area for innovation, however, is the use of adjuvants to unlock the full potential of biological crop protection products, which often require superior coverage, retention, canopy penetration, and protection from environmental stresses to deliver consistent field performance. Drone-specific adjuvants designed to enhance the efficacy of biopesticides, biostimulants, microbial products, and emerging RNA-based technologies could become a major enabler of sustainable agriculture. In particular, biosurfactants represent an exciting next-generation adjuvant platform, offering biodegradable and environmentally friendly performance benefits while improving spreading, wetting, uptake, and compatibility with biological products.
Additionally, there is significant opportunity to develop adjuvants that create synergistic interactions between biologicals and conventional crop protection products, improving efficacy beyond the performance of either component alone while potentially reducing use rates and increasing consistency under variable field conditions.
Want to hear more from the experts? Watch the full AgriBusiness Global LIVE! webinar to hear the panel discuss the evolving drone application market, formulation and adjuvant opportunities, regulatory developments, and strategies companies can use to position themselves for growth.
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