Ceres Air Inc. blog

Built for Control. Not Chance

Josh Robinson — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 00:51:15 GMT

Earlier this month, a trailer carrying Ceres systems was stolen.

It has since been recovered, and federal law enforcement, including the FBI, moved quickly to resolve the situation. We appreciate the coordination and the speed they brought to it.

At no point was there any risk of unauthorized use, which is what matters most.

That wasn’t left to chance. It comes down to how the system is built.

Ceres systems don’t simply power on and operate. They require secure activation, can be locked remotely, and the batteries are handled separately. Without the proper access, they don’t run, which means even outside of normal operation the system remains controlled.

Situations like this tend to highlight a broader point: where your equipment comes from matters.

When a system is built and supported domestically, there’s a level of accountability that comes with it. You can track it, you know where it came from, and you know where it’s supposed to be. If something goes sideways, you’re not reacting after the fact – you’re able to act immediately.

In this case, every unit was traceable. That made coordination straightforward and allowed everything to be recovered without escalation.

That’s intentional.

We build our systems in the United States for a reason. They’re built to work, but they’re also built to be controlled, supported, and accounted for wherever they are.

That’s part of the responsibility that comes with building equipment people rely on.

Ceres Air Expands Internationally with Strategic Partnership in Brazil’s Rapidly Growing Agricultural Drone Market

Josh Robinson — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 00:50:33 GMT

Springfield, VT / Curitiba, Brazil — April 20th, 2026 —Ceres Air, a U.S.-based manufacturer of high-performance agricultural spray drones built with American Software and trusted by American farmers. Today announced its first international expansion — a strategic partnership with Timber Agriculture, one of Brazil’s leading providers of mechanization and operational technology solutions.

The partnership brings American-built software and designs into one of the largest and most performance-driven farming markets in the world.

Brazil is home to more than 90 million hectares of cultivated land and over 5 million farmers, and stands as the world’s largest soybean exporter. With highly mechanized operations and a rapidly accelerating shift toward precision agriculture, the country’s agricultural drone market is projected to grow by more than 35% annually.

Since its founding, Ceres Air has been committed to serving the farmer — building systems that work in real conditions, across real terrain, without compromise. That same standard is now being taken global. Not because the domestic market isn’t enough, but because the technology we built for American agriculture is ready to perform anywhere.

“This isn’t just expansion — it’s proof of what we’ve built for American farmers translating to the toughest agricultural environments in the world. We hold ourselves to one standard, whether we’re operating in the Pacific Northwest or the Brazilian Cerrado. That standard doesn’t change based on geography.” — Josh Robinson, CEO, Ceres Air

Through the partnership, Timber Agriculture will introduce and support Ceres Air’s flagship aerial application platform, C31 “Black Betty (Timber AT150),” across its national network, targeting high-demand use cases.

Headquartered in Curitiba, Timber Agriculture has spent nearly two decades modernizing operations across Brazil. Known for its technical expertise and responsive after-sales support, the company represents leading global brands and delivers full-service solutions across agriculture, forestry, construction, and energy sectors.

As part of this new phase, Timber Agriculture is committing to the full professionalization of agricultural drone operations in Brazil. Planned infrastructure includes a national technical center, pilot training programs, a dedicated parts logistics network, certified technical teams, and a nationwide dealer network — all designed to establish and maintain a consistent, high-performance operating standard.

“Our responsibility is to bring the right technology into Brazil and support it properly. Ceres Air delivers a platform built with intention, backed by American software and engineering discipline, and aligned with the level of performance our customers expect.” — Patrick Chiabotto, Timber Agriculture

The partnership will initially focus on Brazil’s highest-demand crop segments, including soybeans and corn, sugar cane, coffee, cotton, forestry, and fruit and vegetable production — all sectors where precision application and operational efficiency are critical.

For Ceres Air, the move represents a deliberate step in exporting the same American-built software and design that powers operations across the United States into markets where reliability, accountability, and performance are equally non-negotiable.

“There’s a reason ‘American-built’ still carries weight in markets like Brazil. It signals that the system was built to work, built to last, and built by a team that stands behind it. That’s the standard we hold ourselves to at home, and that’s exactly what we’re bringing into this partnership.” — Josh Robinson, CEO, Ceres Air

Structured as a long-term strategic collaboration, the Timber Agriculture–Ceres Air partnership is designed to establish a strong, standardized presence in Brazil’s agricultural drone market, with a focus on technical consistency, market organization, and long-term brand leadership.

About Ceres Air

Ceres Air is a U.S.-based manufacturer of agricultural drone systems designed for performance, reliability, and transparency. Ceres Air platforms are engineered to meet the evolving demands of modern agriculture, with a focus on scalable solutions and operator-first design. American farmers have trusted Ceres Air systems to deliver results in the field since day one.

About Timber Agriculture

Timber Agriculture is a Brazil-based provider of mechanization and technology solutions, operating across forestry, agriculture, construction, and energy sectors. With nearly two decades of experience, the company represents leading global brands and delivers comprehensive support — from equipment sales to after-sales service — ensuring maximum performance and uptime for its customers.

Enhancing The C-31 Spray Boom: A Technical Development Overview

Arthur Chen — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 00:49:27 GMT

Our Super Users program played an essential role in the development cycle for our newest product, the V-shaped boom geometry for the C-31. Through many iterations, we designed the spray boom using feedback gathered from our Super Users program. This allowed us to gather information from users in the agricultural industry, moving our process from design and theory into the actual configuration of the drone. The configuration of the V-shaped boom represents a critical advancement in technology. It’s designed to optimize spray coverage, minimize draft, and enhance the aerodynamics of the C-31.

The design was tested over multiple seasons, giving us fantastic data to work with when it came to finalizing the prototype of the V-shaped boom. Our initial design of the C-31 spray boom included a standard, straight line boom configuration, similar to other designs on the market. The first iteration had two closely-positioned spray heads. This design was workable but not what we were looking for.

We then made a modification, changing the design from two nozzles to four nozzles. This was to increase the volume of flow and test the application capacity. With that decision, we were able to put our theory of an increased spray width into practice.

Before we finalized the design of the flight platform and spray tank module on the C-31, we put it through its paces. We evaluated the performance metrics, focusing on spray swath width, and uniform application. After our initial tests, we found the performance didn’t meet our standards.

Through October and November, we went through an intense testing process. During this time, we explored nozzle replacement options, and boom adjustments. By doing this extensive testing, we were able to finalize a design that brought together functionality and durability.

After two months of beta-testing with our Super Users, we put a stamp of approval on the final design of the boom. Our boom incorporates a V-shaped sweepback geometry with four nozzles to maximize swath and minimize the Coefficient of Variation or CV. This means that we were able to generate results that show high levels of consistency. After months of testing, re-designing, and more testing in various geographical locations, the boom was ready.

An initial configuration of the boom demonstrated a spray swath of 50 feet with an application CV of 20%.

Spray Pattern Testing and Design Validation with WindFall.com

To make sure that we could refine the design of the C-31 Spray Boom, we’ve worked with WindFall.com to create a plan for comprehensive Spray Pattern Testing. Wind-Fall is recognized across the industry for being a benchmark of rigorous testing and independent evaluation. Our testing with Wind-Fall is the final design validation phase before we put the boom into commercial production.

Scope and Importance of the Testing

The objective of testing was to measure the spray distribution while analyzing the size of the droplets, and effective swath width. This was done under different operational parameters (flight speed, nozzle pressure, and weather conditions). This process exists to confirm that the current design for the C-31 boom meets all specs we set out to meet. These specifications meet the efficiency and safety metrics required for modern agricultural practices. A goal we have in this design is having optimal coverage with minimal drift potential. Minimal drift means we have a more efficient and environmentally friendly product.

Upcoming Publications and Guidance

We expect that the full, independent test result from Wind-Fall will arrive in the coming weeks. Once we have received the testing results, we’ll publish a summary of the findings. The published summary will include key performance indicators, and validation metrics.

Following an internal review of the Wind-Fall data, we will use the results to publish the official Manufacturer Guidance for Aerial Application. This document will be the resource for our end-users. The information included in the guide will be operational parameters, best practices, calibration procedures, and safety recommendations. Our operational guide will serve all users of the C-31 boom, providing instructions for precise control and compliance with aerial drone regulations across the US.

What the Industry Saw at the No-Nonsense Demo Day

Arthur Chen — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 00:48:50 GMT

Editor’s Note:

This article summarizes and reflects on findings published by Monarch Drone following their No-Nonsense Demo Day 2026.

The original field report, including their full testing methodology and observations across all platforms, can be read on the Monarch Drone website here:

https://www.monarchdrone.com/monarch-field-notes/no-nonsensedemoday2026

Honest feedback on the C-31 Black Betty Stacked

At Ceres Air, we believe the best feedback doesn’t come from marketing copy. It comes from the field.

Recently, the team at Monarch Drone hosted their No-Nonsense Demo Day 2026, where five of the largest commercial agricultural drones were tested side-by-side under the same conditions. No brand favouritism. No controlled showroom environment. Just machines, operators, and a field that needed spraying.

We appreciated the straightforward approach. Even more importantly, we appreciate the honest feedback.

Here is what the demo day revealed about the C-31 Black Betty Stacked, including both the strengths and the realities operators should understand.

The Test Setup

The Monarch team flew each drone across the same 20-acre field under consistent weather conditions:

61°F
11 mph winds
Overcast skies

Rather than forcing every drone into the same swath width and speed, the team configured each aircraft according to its intended operating parameters. This created a much more realistic representation of how these machines perform in the field.

The evaluation focused on:

Swath performance
Battery efficiency and temperature
User interface
Serviceability
Overall operational practicality

What They Found: Black Betty’s Strengths

Massive Capacity and Field Efficiency

One thing became clear quickly: Black Betty moves product.

The drone carries a 31.7-gallon payload, with 40 gallons pending FAA approval. During testing, it successfully emptied a 31-gallon load while returning with battery levels still in the low-30 percent range.

In practical terms, that meant 15–20 acres per run, dramatically reducing refill frequency compared with smaller platforms.

For operators managing large acreage, that kind of capacity changes the economics of drone spraying.

A Different Kind of Spray System

Black Betty’s rear-mounted V-pattern boom drew a lot of attention.

Instead of spraying directly under the rotors, the boom extends behind the aircraft. This helps the spray pattern avoid the turbulence caused by rotor wash.

The result can include:

More consistent spray deposition
Improved canopy penetration
Less disruption to droplet distribution

In dense crops, that design could make a meaningful difference.

Surprisingly Agile for Its Size

At first glance, the C-31 looks massive. But the test team noted that flight performance exceeded expectations.

Despite its size, the drone:

Cornered well
Accelerated faster than expected
Produced extremely strong thrust and downwash at takeoff

The power-to-weight ratio was noticeable immediately.

Built on Proven Hardware

Another observation from the demo was that Black Betty is not starting from scratch.

The aircraft is built on the hardware and software foundation of the HD580 platform, which has already logged substantial flight time in the field. That lineage helps reduce concerns around first-year reliability.

The team also noted Ceres Air’s commitment to U.S. sourcing, manufacturing, and assembly, which is increasingly important for operators concerned about supply chains and regulatory uncertainty.

Honest Considerations

No serious piece of equipment is perfect. The demo also highlighted several realities that operators should understand before choosing a platform like Black Betty.

It Is the Highest-Priced Drone in the Test

At $57,998 for the base package, Black Betty came in as the most expensive platform evaluated.

However, it’s worth noting that the aircraft is also operating in a different capacity class than many of the other drones in the field. For large-scale operators, the increased productivity may offset the higher entry price, but it remains a factor in the purchasing decision.

Connectivity Still Has Room to Improve

The Monarch team noted that image transmission and connectivity lag slightly behind DJI’s current benchmark.

DJI has spent years refining their communications systems, and that gap is something the broader industry continues to work toward closing.

Connectivity remains an area of ongoing development across many non-DJI platforms.

A Big Drone Requires a Big Operation

A drone capable of covering 18 acres every seven minutes creates a new challenge: keeping up with it.

Running a machine like Black Betty efficiently requires significant support infrastructure, including:

Heavy-duty trailers
Large generators
Multiple continuous fast chargers
Extra staff for battery swaps
Up to 2,000 gallons of water per day

In other words, the aircraft is only one part of the system.

Operators considering this class of drone should plan for the logistics that come with high-throughput spraying.

Downwash Can Disturb Crops

The same thrust that gives Black Betty its power also produces substantial downwash.

That airflow can introduce a risk of crop disturbance or lodging, particularly in crops such as corn.

With great power comes an increased need for responsible practice, and operators will need to account for this during flight planning and adjust altitude and speed accordingly.

Larger Production Batteries Are Coming

During the demo, the drone flew on 32,000 mAh batteries, which performed well.

However, the production configuration will use 38,000 mAh batteries, which are expected to further improve flight time and overall efficiency.

The platform shown at demo day was already capable, but future battery capacity will unlock its full operational potential.

What We Appreciate About This Review

The Monarch Drone team set out to create a real-world comparison, not a promotional event. That kind of transparency is exactly what the industry needs.

The C-31 Black Betty Stacked is designed for operators who need serious acreage coverage and serious payload capacity. It is not the smallest, the cheapest, or the simplest drone in the market.

But it was never meant to be.

It is built for operators who want to move product efficiently, cover large areas quickly, and push agricultural drone operations into a new scale.

And we appreciate the opportunity to see it tested honestly in the field.

_________________________________________________________________________

If you'd like to see Black Betty in action or learn more about the platform, reach out to the Ceres Air team or one of our authorized partners.

Because the future of agricultural aviation isn’t theoretical. It’s already flying.

Building the Future of American Drone Manufacturing — Starting in Vermont

Arthur Chen — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 00:47:56 GMT

At Ceres Air, we’ve always said being American-made isn’t just a label we slap on our drones, it’s our commitment to our industry.

That commitment means building the infrastructure, the partnerships, and the talent pipeline to manufacture the core components of our agriculture drones right here in the United States.

And that’s exactly why we’ve partnered with ImageTek in North Springfield, Vermont.

Why ImageTek?

ImageTek isn’t just a technology company. They’re deeply invested in advancing manufacturing and engineering in Vermont right at home within the Springfield community.

They’re not only helping build capability.

They’re helping build people.

One of the ways they do that is by sponsoring the Robotics and Aerial Drone Club (RADs) Ariel Drone Competition by REC Foundation at the River Valley Technical Center. The RAD club gives middle and high school students hands-on experience building, coding, and flying drones and robotics systems.

This isn’t just a school that teaches theory; it’s one that is actively engaged in real-world engineering.

And they’re incredibly good at it.

In 2025, the RAD team won the Draganfly Regional Drone Championship, beating out teams from West Virginia in a high-speed course that tested precision, navigation, and obstacle clearance. Springfield High School now hosts Vermont’s only River Valley Aerial Drone Competition, drawing students from across the Northeast for both piloted and autonomous drone challenges.

That’s the kind of ecosystem Ceres Air wants to be part of as we continue to create products that work for Americans.

Bringing Black Betty to the Next Generation

In early February, Ceres Air and ImageTek brought our largest agriculture drone, the Black Betty Stack (C31), to meet the RAD club ahead of the regional competition.

For many of the students, this was their first time seeing a full-scale commercial agriculture drone up close.

And not just any drone, this is the largest agriculture drone currently available.

The room lit up.

The conversation quickly shifted from “how does it fly?” to “how does this scale?” and “how do we make it better?”

What impressed us most wasn’t just their excitement, it was their curiosity. The students immediately began thinking about how the BBS could evolve from a powerful machine into an even more impactful tool for real-world agriculture.

That’s exactly the mindset we’re building Ceres Air around. We’re proudly earning our stripes as an American-made drone manufacturer, manufacturing products Americans will be proud to call their own.

Manufacturing. Education. Momentum.

This partnership isn’t about a single demo.

It’s about building American capability starting from the factory floors and extending to the classrooms.

If we want American agriculture to stay competitive, we need American manufacturing.

If we want American manufacturing, we need skilled engineers and innovators.

If we want innovators, we need to invest in students today.

Vermont is stepping up.

Springfield is building something special.

And we’re proud to be part of it.

The future of American drone manufacturing isn’t theoretical.

It’s being built right now.

FIELD REPORT: Stress-Testing the C31 Under Maximum Payload

Arthur Chen — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 00:47:13 GMT

In the world of agricultural aviation, theoretical specs matter less than real-world endurance. To demonstrate the true operational capacity of the Black Betty Stacked, we conducted a stationary hover test under a maximum 40 gal load.

The Objective

The goal was simple: provide operators with a transparent look at battery depletion rates when the aircraft is at its absolute limit.

Platform: Ceres Air C31
Payload: 40-gallon full liquid load (~400 lbs total weight)
Starting State: The test commenced with an initial battery level of 91%
Core Benchmark: Testing the "40 gal Benchmark" to prove the C31's ability to scale heavy-lift operations without compromising reliability

Operational Reality

Most heavy-lift drones face significant power "sag" when carrying full tanks. By documenting this hover test, we are showing the stability of our power management system. For professional applicators, this data translates to more accurate mission planning and fewer "range anxiety" interruptions during critical spray windows.

"Scaling heavy-lift operations isn't just about bigger motors; it's about how those motors handle the weight over the entire duration of a battery cycle."

Why This Matters for Your Fleet

The C31 isn't just a hover-capable machine; it's a high-output tool designed for:

Massive Throughput: Handling 40-gallon capacities that were previously reserved for manned aircraft.
Battery Longevity: Providing a predictable discharge curve even under maximum stress.
Efficiency: Maximizing the "acre-per-hour" metric by reducing the frequency of battery swaps.

Contact Us to Schedule a Demo | View Technical Specifications

The 400 lb Benchmark: How the Ceres Air C31 is Scaling Heavy-Lift Operations

Arthur Chen — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 00:46:25 GMT

As the demand for large-scale agricultural and cargo operations grows, payload capacity is no longer just a metric—it’s the defining factor of mission efficiency. Our latest field test of the Ceres Air C31 (Black Betty) proves that high-capacity drones can deliver both massive power and rock-solid stability.

The Test: 397 lbs Static Hover

In our most recent evaluation, the C31 was tasked with a 397 lb (180 kg) payload—a weight class that sets a new benchmark for enterprise UAVs.

Performance: The C31 maintained a stable hover for over 4 minutes with the full payload.
Power Reserve: Even at this extreme weight, the high-torque 8-motor system maintained a 100% power reserve, ensuring critical safety margins for real-world maneuvers.
Safety Redundancy: The 4-arm, 8-motor configuration provides essential motor redundancy, allowing the aircraft to maintain control even in demanding field conditions.

Why This Matters for Ag & Cargo

Heavy-lift capacity translates directly to fewer refills and more acres covered. For operators managing hundreds of acres, the C31 offers:

Rapid Turnaround: Dual 38,000 mAh batteries that charge from 25% to 95% in approximately 10 minutes, keeping the drone in the air rather than on the charger.
Precision Safety: Next-generation LiDAR and Millimeter Wave Radar provide 360° obstacle avoidance, crucial when flying heavy loads near treelines or power lines.

Technical Specifications at a Glance

Feature	Specification
Max Lift Capacity	397 lbs (180 kg)
Configuration	4-Arm / 8-Motor Redundancy
Safety Suite	360° LiDAR + Millimeter Wave Radar

Ready to upgrade your fleet?

The Ceres Air C31 is now available for pre-order. Secure your spot in the production queue and bring heavy-lift efficiency to your operations.

Contact Us to Request a Quote | View Full Specs

Yes, It Can: Spraying a Full 40-Gallon Tank on a Single Charge

Josh Robinson — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 00:45:13 GMT

Breaking the Payload-to-Battery Barrier

In the large drone category, a common frustration for operators is the "battery bottleneck." Most heavy-lift drones—including the DJI T100 class—ship with batteries that are undersized relative to their tank capacity. This often means the drone cannot spray an entire tank in a single battery cycle, forcing inefficient mid-tank landings or carrying less than a full load.

The Ceres Air C31 field test has officially broken this cycle.

Our recent endurance testing proved that the C31 can consistently spray its entire 40-gallon payload on a single battery charge. By matching true endurance with maximum capacity, we’ve eliminated the need for mid-mission battery swaps, allowing for a seamless, continuous application that maximizes every minute in the field.

Field Test Results: 40 Gallons at 2 GPA, 40 mph

Our data highlights the C31’s ability to maintain high-performance parameters while under full load:

Complete Tank Discharge: Verified flight endurance allows for a full 40-gallon spray mission from takeoff to empty on one battery set.
Operational Efficiency: Maintained a consistent speed of 40 MPH with a 40 and 50 FT swath, covering nearly 20 acres in a single flight at a 2 gal/acre rate.
Power Reserve: After 6~8 mins flight under full load, the system maintained a safe voltage reserve from 40% to 13%.

Swath	Size of Field	Battery Start / End	Flight Time	Area Covered	Volume Sprayed
50 ft	1/2 mile	100% ~ 40%	6 min 16 sec	19.6 acre	40 gal
50 ft	1/4 mile	100% ~ 22%	7 min 57 sec	19.75 acre	39.3 gal
40 ft	1/2 mile	100% ~ 22%	8 min 26 sec	20 acre	40 gal
40 ft	1/4 mile	100% ~ 13%	7 min 40 sec	15.6 acre	30.9 gal

Important Notice: Endurance Test Only

The performance data above reflects a controlled endurance test not an operational recommendation.

While the C31 successfully completed a full 40‑gallon mission using a 50‑ft swath during testing, this is not a universal recommendation for all operators. Optimal swath width depends on field size, conditions, and application goals.

Over the next several weeks, we will release additional test results demonstrating the C31 spraying 40‑ft and 50‑ft swaths on ¼‑mile and ½‑mile fields, providing a broader view of performance across different environments.

Final product recommendations — including swath width, speed, and application settings — will come from the Independent Super Users whose real‑world experience guides best practices for commercial operations.
The performance data above reflects a controlled endurance test, not an operational recommendation. While the C31 successfully completed a full 40-gallon mission using a 50-ft swath during testing, this is not a universal recommendation for all operators.

50ft Swath 1/2 mile field 40 mph

50ft Swath 1/4 mile field 40 mph

40ft Swath 1/2 mile field 40 mph

40ft Swath 1/4 mile field 40 mph

Why It Matters for Your Operation

For commercial applicators, every landing is lost time. By engineering a platform where the battery endurance actually matches the tank size, Ceres Air provides:

Higher Throughput: More acres covered per hour by eliminating unnecessary landings and takeoffs.
Reduced Wear: Fewer battery swaps mean less connector fatigue. on connectors and less stress on the ground crew.
Predictable Logistics: Know exactly how much ground you’ll cover per charge — no guessing, no partial tanks, no surprises.

Built for the Demands of American Agriculture

The Ceres Air C31 is engineered and built in the USA for operators who refuse to compromise. If you’re ready to move past mid‑tank battery swaps and experience true heavy‑lift efficiency, it’s time to elevate your fleet.

Contact Us to Schedule a Demo | View Technical Specifications

Why Swath Testing Matters: What the Data Tells Us About Better Drone Applications

Josh Robinson — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 00:44:12 GMT

When agricultural drone operators talk about performance, the conversation often starts with payload, flight time, speed, or acres per hour.

But none of those numbers matters much if the application itself isn't effective.

How wide can you actually spray? How does that change as application volume increases? What happens when the wind comes up? Does a larger droplet solve drift without creating another problem? And how much does atomizer configuration affect the usable swath?

These aren't theoretical questions. They directly affect coverage, efficacy, drift, streaking and, ultimately, whether an operator delivers the application a customer is paying for.

During a recent Ceres Air webinar, application specialist Dr. Steve Li shared results from extensive swath testing conducted across multiple agricultural drone platforms and application scenarios. The presentation went beyond explaining how to test a swath. It showed what happens when variables are changed and why operators can't rely on one manufacturer's swath number for every application.

The biggest lesson was simple:

Your drone doesn't have one swath width. It has an effective swath that changes with how, where and what you're spraying.

Why Wider Isn't Always Better

A wider swath looks great on a productivity calculation.

Fewer passes mean less flight time and potentially more acres per hour. But there is a point where pushing width stops creating efficiency and starts sacrificing application quality.

Dr. Li traced streaking observed in drone applications back to one recurring issue: spraying wider than the effective swath the conditions could support. In early herbicide trials, untreated green strips remained after burndown applications because coverage between passes wasn't sufficient.

Figure 1. AccuPatt analysis showing spray deposition across the swath and the effective swath width determined during Black Betty C31 testing.

The lesson wasn't that drones couldn't effectively apply the herbicide. It was that the application parameters needed to match the job.

And the subsequent testing demonstrated just how dramatically those parameters can change the outcome.

Case Study 1: The Same Application, Up to 50% Difference in Swath

One of the clearest examples came from herbicide applications over different levels of vegetation.

With sparse, ankle-high vegetation, operators could achieve good control with a relatively wide swath.

Move that same application into chest-high cover crop, however, and the situation changed dramatically.

According to the testing presented by Dr. Li, effective swath could vary by as much as 50%, even while using the same drone, GPA, herbicide rate and general application method.

The difference was the target.

As vegetation became thicker, droplets had to penetrate farther into the canopy. The effective swath within the canopy became narrower than the pattern visible across the top. Tests showed situations where the upper vegetation received sufficient product while the lower canopy did not, simply because there weren't enough droplets available to maintain coverage deeper into the vegetation.

This introduces an important distinction between 2D and 3D applications.

Spraying a relatively flat surface is fundamentally different from trying to move droplets down through several feet of vegetation. In a 3D application, operators need to think about both horizontal distribution and vertical penetration.

That can require narrower swaths, greater application volume, smaller droplets and slower flight speeds.

What This Means for Operators

A swath width that worked beautifully during an early-season burndown may not work when vegetation becomes significantly denser later in the season.

The target has changed, so the application needs to change with it.

Case Study 2: Drift and Streaking Can Happen at the Same Time

There's another common assumption worth challenging: if product is drifting, it must be spreading farther.

The field data showed otherwise.

In one test, two burndown plots were sprayed only minutes apart under sustained winds of roughly 8 to 10 mph. Significant streaking appeared within the treated plots while spray movement was also observed well downwind, with the presentation noting approximately 220 feet of downwind drift in the test.

In other words, product moving farther downwind didn't mean the intended swath was being adequately covered.

The wind distorted and shifted the spray pattern. Product was leaving the target area while gaps were simultaneously being created within it.

This is why using a maximum calm-day swath during windy conditions can create two problems at once: off-target movement and inadequate coverage.

Wind doesn't simply make the swath "wider."

It changes the swath.

Case Study 3: Crosswind Turned 42 Feet Into 14 Feet

One of the most dramatic examples in the webinar showed why controlled testing conditions matter.

Two tests were conducted with essentially the same drone and application parameters. When the results were evaluated using a 20% coefficient of variation, one produced a calculated effective swath of 42 feet.

Another produced just 14 feet.

Nearly a threefold difference.

The culprit was inconsistent crosswind.

That doesn't mean the aircraft suddenly lost two-thirds of its spraying capability. It means the environmental conditions made the test unreliable.

It's why Dr. Li repeatedly emphasized conducting swath tests directly into the wind rather than across it.

The finding also has an important implication beyond testing.

Environmental conditions can dramatically change where droplets travel. A swath width should never be treated as a permanent specification independent of the conditions in which the aircraft is operating.

Case Study 4: Two Atomizers vs. Four

One of the webinar's most useful comparisons involved atomizer configuration.

Testing with a four-atomizer configuration showed a remarkably stable effective swath across application volumes.

Using a 20% coefficient-of-variation threshold, testing at 2, 3, 5 and 10 GPA generally produced effective swaths in approximately the 29-to-32-foot range.

With four atomizers, increasing application volume did not dramatically collapse the effective swath.

The two-atomizer configuration behaved differently.

At 2 GPA, performance remained relatively close, at approximately 29 to 30 feet. At 3 GPA, however, effective swath dropped to roughly 24 to 25 feet.

By 5 GPA, it was approximately 20 feet.

At that application volume, the two-atomizer system had lost roughly one-third of the effective swath available from the four-atomizer configuration.

That's an important operational finding.

Atomizer count isn't simply a hardware specification. As flow demand increases, it can materially affect how effectively that volume is atomized and distributed.

Case Study 5: More Atomizers Produced More Droplets at the Same Application Rate

The atomizer comparison became even more interesting when researchers looked at droplet counts.

Both configurations were tested at the same 30-liter-per-minute flow rate and approximately 5.6 GPA.

At a 200-micron controller setting, the two-atomizer configuration produced approximately 607 droplet hits on the sampling paper.

The four-atomizer configuration produced approximately 1,123 hits.

Nearly twice as many droplets were produced while applying the same overall volume.

Why?

More atomizers provide more capacity to break the liquid into smaller droplets.

And that matters because gallonage alone doesn't determine coverage.

Two drones can apply the same volume per acre and produce very different droplet populations.

For applications that depend heavily on coverage and canopy penetration, that distinction becomes extremely important.

Case Study 6: Bigger Droplets Reduce Drift, But There's a Trade-Off

Droplet size presented another clear trade-off.

Larger droplets generally provide greater drift protection. But because the total spray volume remains constant, making each droplet larger means producing fewer droplets.

The testing quantified that difference.

With the four-atomizer configuration, a 100-micron controller setting produced approximately 1,249 hits on the sampling paper. At 200 microns, there were approximately 1,123 hits.

At the 500-micron setting, that number dropped to approximately 441.

The sampling cards below illustrate this trade-off. As droplet density changes across the spray pattern, the number of individual impacts available to reach the target changes dramatically.

Figure 2. Water-sensitive paper samples from J150 testing showing how droplet density changes across the spray pattern, illustrating why consistent coverage is as important as selecting the appropriate droplet size.

That's a substantial reduction in the number of opportunities for product to reach the target.

For some systemic herbicide applications where drift management is the overriding priority, larger droplets may make sense.

But for contact herbicides, fungicides, desiccants, defoliants and applications requiring significant canopy penetration, simply making droplets larger can create a different problem: insufficient coverage.

The objective isn't therefore to create the smallest or largest possible droplets.

It's to create the right droplet spectrum for the application.

Case Study 7: What Extensive C31 Black Betty Testing Actually Found

The Ceres Air C31 Black Betty provided one of the webinar's most extensive datasets.

Rather than relying on a single demonstration, the testing program included 77 separate string tests and 30 paper tests, covering 2, 3, 5 and 10 GPA. Each individual test included three passes, and the work required approximately a week of field testing followed by several additional weeks of data analysis.

The resulting reports captured the operating conditions for each test and documented the effective swath recommendations that emerged from the analysis.

Figure 3. Example of a Black Betty C31 internal testing report showing the flight parameters and recommended effective swath generated from field testing.

That volume of testing matters because it illustrates another important principle: one impressive pass doesn't establish an effective swath.

Some C31 tests produced effective swaths of 41, 42 and even 44 feet under favourable test conditions.

Separate field efficacy work with the commercial V-boom also produced burndown swaths that were mostly in the 40-to-50-foot range, even though those particular trials were conducted with crosswind and therefore carried more variability.

The point isn't that operators should simply enter 44 or 50 feet into the controller.

It's almost the opposite.

The testing established what the aircraft could achieve under particular combinations of GPA, droplet size, height, speed and environmental conditions.

The individual tests illustrate just how different those operating combinations could be. T23 evaluated the C31 at 2 GPA and 60 fps using a 40-foot test swath, while T26 evaluated 10 GPA at 29.3 fps using a 25-foot test swath. Both tests used a 10-foot flight altitude, a 75–135 micron droplet range and a four-atomizer configuration. The resulting AccuPatt analyses show the different deposition patterns and swath performance observed under these substantially different operating parameters.

Figure 4. AccuPatt analysis from Black Betty C31 testing comparing configurations at 2 GPA and 60 fps (top) and 10 GPA and 29.3 fps (bottom). The results illustrate how substantially different operating configurations correspond with different deposition patterns and effective swath outcomes, reinforcing that effective swath must be evaluated within the complete operating configuration.

From there, operators can make more conservative decisions appropriate to the actual job.

That is the difference between maximum potential swath and responsible operating swath.

Case Study 8: The Controller Setting Isn't Necessarily the Droplet Size You Get

Another useful finding came from comparing programmed droplet size with measured droplet size.

In one series of boom-position tests, the controller was set to approximately 230 microns.

Actual measured droplets were closer to 330 to 375 microns under certain configurations.

The interaction between atomizers, airflow, prop wash, flow rate and aircraft configuration meant the number displayed on the controller didn't necessarily represent what ultimately reached the target.

This is exactly why field validation matters.

Operators shouldn't assume that a controller setting tells the entire story.

What Testing Tells Us About Prop Wash and Boom Design

The webinar also highlighted the importance of where droplets enter the aircraft's airflow.

Traditional drone configurations can place spray directly into turbulent prop wash, creating a pronounced center peak and vortices that affect distribution.

Testing of extended boom configurations showed how dramatically changing nozzle position could alter the pattern.

In one test, moving the boom approximately one foot ahead of the propellers produced a relatively flat distribution pattern and an approximately 34-foot swath at a 10% CV while applying 5 GPA.

Moving the boom back into the propeller area reduced effective swath by roughly 9 to 10 feet at the same 10% CV threshold.

Additional testing on the C31 showed approximately a 30-foot swath at 12% CV with a forward configuration and approximately 33 feet at 10% CV with a rear configuration under the parameters tested.

The lesson wasn't that there is one universally perfect boom position.

It was that aircraft design, prop wash and nozzle placement have measurable effects on spray distribution.

And those effects can be tested.

Total Swath Is Not Effective Swath

This distinction may be the most important practical takeaway for operators conducting their own testing.

Imagine laying down a 100-foot strip of receipt paper and spraying across it.

You may see droplets extending 40, 50 or even more feet from one side of the pattern to the other.

That is your total swath.

It is not necessarily your effective swath.

The outer portions may contain far fewer droplets than the center. Crosswind may shift the entire pattern. A large center peak may mean adjacent passes need substantial overlap to create uniform coverage.

The averaged pattern below illustrates this distinction, showing the full measured spray distribution alongside the narrower swath selected for more consistent application.

Figure 5. Average spray distribution from Black Betty C31 string testing, illustrating how measured spray patterns are used to determine a narrower effective swath within the total spray distribution.

Effective swath considers the distribution pattern and determines the width that can actually provide acceptable uniformity when repeated across a field.

That is the number operators need to care about.

Better Testing Doesn't Need to Be Complicated

Operators don't need a research laboratory to begin understanding their own aircraft.

Receipt paper can visualize distribution across a swath. String testing provides a mature method borrowed from fixed-wing and helicopter application research. Water-sensitive paper can evaluate droplet density and coverage. Digital systems such as DropFly allow operators to scan water-sensitive cards and generate distribution curves.

The field testing process combined physical sampling with environmental monitoring to ensure the results reflected actual operating conditions.

Figure 6. Field testing methodology during T100 evaluation, showing water-sensitive paper sampling, field data recording, and environmental monitoring used to ensure consistent, repeatable spray performance.

For higher-quality testing, Dr. Li recommended placing water-sensitive cards relatively close together. One-foot spacing provides excellent resolution, while two-foot spacing can provide a more practical balance between cost and useful data. Each test should ideally include three independent passes.

The methodology matters.

But the larger principle matters more:

Test the aircraft you actually fly, using parameters relevant to the work you actually do.

There Is No Universal "Best" Setting

The webinar's results don't lead to a single magic combination of swath, GPA, droplet size and speed.

That's precisely the point.

Smaller droplets can dramatically increase droplet count and improve coverage, but they can increase drift potential.

Larger droplets reduce drift risk but reduce the number of droplets available for coverage.

Higher GPA can improve coverage and canopy penetration, but it increases the flow demands placed on the atomization system.

More atomizers can help maintain droplet production and effective swath as application volume rises.

Dense vegetation can dramatically reduce effective swath compared with sparse vegetation.

Wind can simultaneously create off-target movement and gaps within the intended application.

And the number displayed on the controller doesn't always tell you exactly what is happening beneath the aircraft.

Every variable interacts with another.

The Bottom Line: Know What Your Drone Is Actually Doing

Agricultural drones are becoming larger, faster and more capable.

That's good for the industry.

But greater capability makes understanding application science more important, not less.

The goal shouldn't be to find the biggest swath number possible.

It should be to understand the widest swath that produces the application quality required for that particular job under those particular conditions.

The data presented during this webinar showed just how significant the differences can be: effective swath changing by 50% with canopy density, crosswind contributing to results ranging from 14 to 42 feet, two versus four atomizers creating dramatically different performance at higher GPA, and droplet counts falling from more than 1,200 to roughly 440 as droplet settings increased.

At the same time, extensive testing of the C31 demonstrated effective swaths exceeding 40 feet under certain tested conditions and burndown efficacy swaths largely between 40 and 50 feet in separate field work.
Those aren't arguments for one universal setting.

They're evidence of why operators need data.

Because the best operators aren't simply asking:

How wide can this drone spray?

They're asking a better question:

How wide can I spray this product, on this crop, at this GPA, with these droplets, under today's conditions, and still deliver the application my customer expects?

That's where swath testing becomes more than a technical exercise.

It becomes part of being a professional applicator.

Ceres Air Receives Conditional FCC Approval: What It Means for Operators and American Agriculture

Josh Robinson — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 00:42:54 GMT

Every company reaches moments that define where it's headed. For Ceres Air, this is one of those moments.

After months of rigorous review, questions, and anticipation from dealers, operators, and partners alike, the company has reached a significant milestone…one that answers some important questions while naturally raising a few new ones.

First, The Approval

Ceres Air has received Conditional FCC Approval (FCC Public Notice: DA-26-704A1.pdf) for both its current and future agricultural drone platforms. This is a major milestone that ensures the company can continue developing and introducing new technology for American operators.

More importantly, it gives dealers, growers, and commercial applicators confidence that Ceres isn't standing still.

What Does This Mean?

In practical terms, Conditional FCC Approval means Ceres Air now has a recognized pathway to continue bringing new products to market as they meet federal security requirements.

That includes future developments such as:

New drone platforms
Updated remote controllers
Flight controller upgrades
Hardware improvements
Software enhancements
Ongoing product innovation

Rather than being limited to existing technology, Ceres can continue evolving its products alongside the needs of modern agriculture.

For operators investing in equipment today, that's an important distinction. You're investing in a platform that can continue improving; not one that's reached the end of its development.

Why Was This Approval Different?

Following changes to FCC regulations, manufacturers introducing new drone technology have been required to undergo significantly more rigorous federal review focused on supply chain security and national security compliance.

Ceres Air successfully completed that review.

The resulting Conditional FCC Approval confirms that the company's current supply chain meets federal requirements while providing a framework for future products as Ceres continues increasing domestic manufacturing.

A Milestone for the Industry

This approval represents more than progress for one company.

It helps ensure that American agriculture has access to a growing pipeline of secure, domestically supported drone technology at a time when the industry needs more choice—not less.

Ceres Air can continue investing in new platforms, improving existing products, and supporting operators for years to come.

Thank You

This milestone belongs to everyone who believed in the vision.

To the dealers who supported customers throughout the process.

To the operators who trusted the platform.

And to the customers helping build the future of American agricultural drone technology.

The review is complete. The path forward is clear.

Now it's time to get back to building better equipment for American agriculture.