From inspection and irrigation to more efficient spraying of insecticides and fungicides to monitoring livestock, agriculture has quickly been revolutionized by drone technology. Everyone across farming and food production–from rural farmers to Fortune 500 companies–is investing in drone technology today. 

For educators, this is a golden opportunity. Agriculture is a massive global industry and, with classroom-ready tools like CoDrone EDU, students can begin building in-demand skills like coding, flight control, and critical thinking before they even graduate.

What Drone-Powered Farming Looks Like Today

• Autonomous crop spraying: Guardian Ag's UAVs carry heavy payloads of 200 lb and spray wide swaths—about 18 ft across—replacing dangerous piloted mission.
  

• Fast-growing companies: In 2024, Texas-based Ag drone manufacturer Hylio announced plans to scale operations to 5,000 drones a year.
  

• Massive market potential: The global Ag drone market is projected to grow from $6 billion to $24 billion by 2032.

The takeaway? Ag drones are real, powerful tools reshaping modern farming—and they’re creating high-tech career opportunities for today’s students.

A More Sustainable Future

Looking ahead, drones are even showing promise for making farming and related practices more sustainable. Some studies have found that spraying with drones can reduce drift and unwanted environmental impact.

In terms of agricultural research and development, scientists began exploring the use of micro-scale, pollinating drones as a protection against widespread bee colony collapse one decade ago.

Careers in Drone Logistics Are Taking Off

There's a wide range of drone-related roles opening up in agriculture, with salaries ranging from $50,000 to $100,000 depending on skills and certifications, including:

• UAS Operations Coordinator, who plans missions and manages flight zones and approvals

• Autonomous Drone Pilot, who operates single‑pilot or drone swarms for spraying, seeding, and pest control

• Aerial Data Analyst, who converts captured imagery and sensor input into plant or livestock health insights

How Students Can Start Now—in Class

Robolink’s Basecamp curriculum library includes standards-aligned lesson plans that are perfect for simulating real-world drone deliveries. Using both Blockly and Python, students will learn how to program CoDrone EDU’s LEDs and collect input from the drone’s color sensor–all to simulate inspecting crops that need to be watered, fertilized, or sprayed for pest control.

Agriculture-Aligned Basecamp Lessons:

• 1.7: LEDs (Blockly)
• 2.1: LEDs and Buzzers (Python)
• 3.7: Color Sensor (Blockly)
• 3.7: Color Sensor (Python)

After mastering these skills, students can complete agriculture-related simulations and challenges:

• Use the drone’s color sensor to simulate inspecting crops and identifying specific areas that need to be watered or sprayed for pest control.

  • • Green for healthy crops
    • Yellow for dry crops
    • Red for infested crops

  Plan a flight path and create a program to land your drone, then light up it’s LED to match the color sensor input.

The Big Picture

While some industries are just starting to scratch the surface of what's possible with drones, agriculture was early to adopt and adapt to autonomous flight. With CoDrone EDU, educators have the tools to help students explore one of the most exciting STEM career paths for today – and tomorrow.