Crop Spraying in Upshur County, Texas

Crop spraying prices in Upshur County

Crop spraying in Upshur County, TX by drone is billed per acre, one pass, application only. You buy the herbicide through your feed store or dealer, and a TDA-licensed operator applies it at label rate.

Service	Typical rate	Notes
Hay field weed control	from $12/acre	bermudagrass and bahiagrass hay
Pasture weed control	from $12/acre	dogfennel, smutgrass, broadleaf weeds
Fence-row & brush control	from $20/acre	sweetgum, greenbrier, blackberry, saplings
Armyworm control in hay	from $12/acre	fall armyworm outbreaks
Pond & aquatic weed control	quoted per site	aquatic-labeled products only

Operators listed for Upshur County quote from $12 to $15 per acre for most field work, with brush and difficult jobs running up to $75. The state typical for Texas is about $12 per acre. Our starting rates sit at the low end of local quotes. Price depends on acres, brush density, terrain, trees and power lines, and travel from Gilmer. Jobs under 10 acres are billed at a 10-acre minimum.

Hay, cattle and poultry in Upshur County

Upshur County is classic East Texas farm country: rolling pasture, hay meadows, pine and hardwood timber and poultry houses. The USDA 2022 Census counts 1,373 farms on about 150,400 acres, averaging 110 acres. Pasture covers about 74,600 acres, woodland about 34,900 and cropland about 33,500. Hay is by far the main crop at about 26,300 acres. The county had about 43,500 cattle and calves and more than 1.7 million broilers, one of the larger poultry inventories in the region.

Target	Why it matters	Best timing
Dogfennel	Spreads fast in bahiagrass pasture	Spring, under 20 inches tall
Smutgrass	Low-quality grass that crowds out forage	Summer, actively growing
Broadleaf weeds	Cut hay yield and quality	Spring, while small
Fall armyworm	Can strip a hay field in days	July–October
Brush & saplings	Take over fence rows and pasture edges	Summer, full leaf

Weed control in bermudagrass and bahiagrass hay

Hay producers around Gilmer, Big Sandy, Ore City and East Mountain sell to cattle operations across East Texas, and weedy hay brings less money. Drones help keep hay fields clean:

• Spring broadleaf passes before the first cutting.
• Fast response to armyworms in late summer, when a field can be lost in a few days.
• Wet ground: East Texas sandy loams and bottomland are often too soft for tractors after rain.
• Haying intervals on each label are checked so cutting isn't delayed.

Pasture weeds and brush along woodlines

Pastures here are cut by creeks, timber and fences. Brush and young trees creep in from woodlines every year.

• Spot spraying dogfennel and smutgrass patches keeps product off good grass.
• Fence rows and woodline edges are treated without clearing access.
• Grazing restrictions on each label are checked before every job, and the operator can treat one pasture at a time.

Working around poultry farms

Broiler houses, litter sheds and feed bins sit next to many hay fields in Upshur County. Operators map buildings, fans and power lines as obstacles, keep buffers from houses and ventilation intakes, and coordinate timing with growers. Fields fertilized with poultry litter often grow strong weed stands, and a timely drone pass keeps them in check.

Ponds, Lake Gladewater and Big Sandy Creek

Stock ponds are common on Upshur County farms, and Big Sandy Creek, Little Cypress Creek, Lake Gladewater and the Sabine River lie close to farmland. Aquatic weeds like duckweed, water hyacinth and cattails can be treated by drone with aquatic-labeled products and the right license category. Field applications keep mapped buffers from water, as labels require.

Spray calendar for Upshur County

Months	Typical jobs
February–March	Winter weeds in dormant bermudagrass; early dogfennel
April–May	Spring broadleaf weeds in hay and pasture
June–July	Smutgrass; brush and fence rows; pond weeds
July–October	Fall armyworms in hay; second weed pass after cutting
October–November	Fall weeds and winter annuals

Why drones fit East Texas farms

Upshur County farms are smaller and more broken up than farms in West Texas, which is exactly where drones make sense.

• Small, wooded fields cost the same per acre as big ones.
• No ruts on soft sandy and bottomland soils.
• Precise placement near homes, poultry houses and ponds.
• Quick turnaround during armyworm outbreaks.

Texas licensing for drone spraying

The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) licenses pesticide applicators. A commercial applicator spraying for hire by drone must pass the general standards exam, the aerial application category and another category that matches the work, such as weed control or aquatic pest control. Farmers spraying their own land by drone need a private applicator license that includes the aerial category.

Federal rules require an FAA Part 107 remote pilot certificate, a Part 137 agricultural aircraft operator certificate and a Section 44807 exemption for drones over 55 pounds. If a label prohibits aerial application, the product cannot be applied by drone.

How booking works

1. Send the hay field or pasture location, acres and what needs treating.
2. We match you with a TDA-licensed, FAA Part 137-certified operator working in Upshur County.
3. You approve the per-acre quote and spray window.
4. The operator maps the property, applies and sends you the application record.

Communities we cover

Gilmer, Big Sandy, Gladewater, East Mountain, Ore City, Union Grove, Diana, Pritchett, Rosewood and Shady Grove, plus farms along the Wood, Camp, Marion, Harrison, Gregg and Smith county lines.