For many row crop growers, 2025 wasn’t about chasing the latest technology; it was about getting more done with fewer passes, fewer inputs and fewer people. According to Arthur Erickson, CEO and co-founder of Hylio, that reality accelerated the adoption of precision tools that allowed growers to shift from blanket applications toward targeted, in-season decision-making.
One of the most notable ag tech accomplishments of 2025 was the rapid uptake of precision tools across row crop operations, particularly spray drones and software-driven agronomic platforms. Erickson estimates the number of spray drones operating in the U.S. increased by at least 50% to 60% year-over-year, based on internal company data and broader market observations.
“Farmers were kind of put against the wall and had to adopt these things,” Erickson says. “Now that they’ve been forced to, they’re realizing this is just a good way of doing things — crisis or not.”
Even as traditional equipment sales softened, investment in precision software and agronomic tools increased, signaling a shift away from iron-heavy solutions toward data-driven management, he says.
Lessons Learned: Rethinking the Blanket Spray
For row crop growers, one of the biggest lessons of the season was abandoning the traditional “shock-and-awe” approach to crop treatment, Erickson says. Instead of relying on a handful of blanket applications with large boom sprayers, precision tools pushed growers toward targeted, data-backed interventions.
“With precision tools, it’s the opposite paradigm,” Erickson says. “The more you put into scouting and prescriptions, the more value you get out of it.”
That shift requires better scouting, higher-quality data and closer collaboration with agronomists, he says, but it also reduces wasted inputs and improves return on investment.
Looking Ahead: Flexibility Will Define the Year Ahead
As growers plan for the coming year, Erickson believes adaptability will be the defining trait of successful operations. With ongoing uncertainty around tariffs, fertilizer pricing and global markets, flexibility has become just as important as yield.
“Precision tools give you the fidelity to react,” Erickson says. “Instead of having just Plan A or Plan B, growers now have Plan A through Z.”
Because drones and similar technologies require far less capital investment than traditional machinery, growers can pivot midseason, targeting nutrient-deficient zones or adjusting application strategies, without committing to half-million-dollar equipment purchases.
Some recent academic research has raised questions about the economics of autonomy in row crop systems. A first-of-its-kind analysis of autonomous machinery on Midwest row crop farms found that, at current technology costs, autonomy doesn’t generally become cost-effective compared with traditional labor unless labor rates exceed roughly $44 per hour — a threshold most operations haven’t reached.
Erickson acknowledges that autonomy’s cost picture is still evolving but emphasizes growers are already seeing value beyond simple labor replacement.
“I think a lot of the value we’re seeing isn’t just labor substitution, it’s the flexibility and responsiveness precision tools give growers,” he says. “If you can reduce inputs, react to stress zones in real time and do targeted work when you need it, that adds up in ways that aren’t always captured in a straight labor versus machine rate comparison.”
