In this guide
Coverage is a chain: swath × speed × efficiency, constrained by tank, refill time and battery swaps. This article shows the calculation and the variables that break it.
Application
Spraying drone coverage: payload, tank, swath and the real hectares per hour
A spraying drone listing usually leads with tank size and maximum flow. Those numbers matter, but they do not tell you how many hectares you will finish in a day.
By Commercial Drone FactoryUpdated 6 November 20267 min read
Quick answer
Theoretical coverage is swath × speed × 0.36: a 6 m swath at 6 m/s gives about 13 ha/h, or about 9 ha/h at 70% field efficiency. A 70 L tank at 60 L/ha covers about 1.2 ha per fill; refill distance and battery swaps often decide the real day.
Formula
The coverage formula
Theoretical hectares per hour = effective swath (m) × speed (m/s) × 0.36. A 6 m swath at 6 m/s gives about 13 ha/h before turns, refills and battery swaps.
Multiply by field efficiency to get a realistic planning number. If efficiency is 70%, the same pass gives about 9 ha/h. Real output can still be lower in small or obstructed blocks.
Tank
Tank size and refill logistics
Hectares per tank = tank (L) ÷ application rate (L/ha). A 70 L tank at 60 L/ha covers about 1.2 ha per fill. If the refill loop takes ten minutes, the tank size is no longer the bottleneck — the loop is.
| Variable | Effect |
|---|---|
| Tank size | More hectares per fill, but more weight and product on board |
| Application rate | Higher rate reduces hectares per tank |
| Refill distance | Long loops erase the benefit of a larger tank |
| Flow rate | Higher flow finishes the tank faster, but can change droplet spectrum |
| Swath | Wider swath increases coverage, but overlap and terrain limit it |
Droplets
Droplet size, speed and swath
Droplet size determines how the spray behaves in the canopy and wind. Smaller droplets increase coverage but raise drift risk. Larger droplets reduce drift but may not penetrate dense canopy.
Speed increases hectares per hour but changes airflow and coverage. The right speed is the one that keeps the deposit even, not the highest number in the manual.
Batteries
Battery count and the working day
Battery count follows hectares per hour, pack capacity, charging time and whether you charge in the field. Plan the rotation before the season; a second pack is cheaper than a lost spray window.
Measure
Measure on your block
Even coverage, not maximum speed, is the target.
Use the formula to narrow the configuration, then measure on your block. Record time per tank, refill time, battery swaps, turns and actual area covered. That record is more useful than any published maximum.
The coverage calculator on this site applies the same formula with your inputs.
Key takeaways
- Theoretical ha/h = swath × speed × 0.36.
- Field efficiency turns theory into a planning number.
- Hectares per tank = tank ÷ application rate.
- Refill distance and battery swaps often decide the real daily output.
Commercial Drone Factory/Updated 6 November 2026
Related guides
Selection
Agricultural drone selection: start with the job, not the payload
Most agricultural drone comparisons start with payload. That is the wrong first question. The right first question is: which job do you need to repeat, on which blocks, with what support?
ApplicationHow many hectares per hour can a spraying drone cover?
The honest answer is: it depends on swath, speed, field efficiency, tank and refill logistics. The useful answer is a calculation you can run on your own block.
ApplicationDrone spraying vs tractor and manual application: where each wins
Drone spraying is not a universal replacement for a sprayer. It wins in specific conditions: soft ground, narrow windows, small or fragmented blocks and canopies that need airflow.
Next step
Check your coverage assumptions.
Send the tank, rate, swath and block shape. We will review the calculation against a field demonstration.