Zibo agricultural drones: buying guide and plant protection technical services
In Zibo City, agricultural drones are gradually becoming a powerful assistant in agricultural production, especially plant protection drones, which play a key role in pesticide spraying and pest and disease monitoring, greatly improving agricultural production efficiency. For farmers and agricultural practitioners in Zibo, knowing how to purchase suitable agricultural drones and obtain high-quality technical services is an important prerequisite for fully utilizing the effectiveness of drones.
1. Current status of agricultural drone market in Zibo City
Zibo City is actively promoting the process of agricultural modernization, and the application of agricultural drones is becoming more and more widespread. In Huantai County, many large grain growers have introduced advanced plant protection drones for agricultural operations. For example, Hu Zhiyong, a major grain grower in Suo Town, Huantai County, frequently flies DJI T50 plant protection drones in his wheat fields. Moreover, his cooperative purchased another Beidou single-core navigation T70 plant protection drone in 2025 in addition to the original five drones. This drone has a wingspan of 1.5 meters and can load 70 liters of water at a time, which is 20 liters more than the T50. It has significantly enhanced the cooperative's "one spray and three defense" operational capabilities. Yang Cheng, a major agricultural machinery manufacturer in Lujia Village, Xincheng Town, Huantai County, added 12 T70 plant protection drones this year. Together with the previous 18 units, the drone group's single-day flying defense operation capability can exceed 10,000 acres. In Gaoqing County, the wheat planting area will reach 687,300 acres in 2025, with "one spray and three prevention" subsidized chemicals covering all areas, and the aerial control area will reach 126,000 acres. The Gaoqing County Supply and Marketing Cooperative organized Shandong Lugong Qingyuan Agricultural Service Co., Ltd. to carry out flying prevention operations, and completed the fertilization and flying prevention tasks of 8,000 acres of trusteeship land within 3 days. These fully demonstrate the important position and widespread application of agricultural drones in Zibo's agricultural production.
2. Agricultural UAV Buying Guide
(1) Purchase channels
Brand official channel : Many well-known drone brands, such as DJI, do not have dedicated brand direct stores in Zibo. The online mall has a complete product range, covering plant protection drones of different models and configurations, and can ensure that the products are brand new and authentic and enjoy official standard after-sales service. In addition, DJI has authorized dealers in Jinan, Qingdao and other surrounding cities, and Zibo users can also go to the field to experience it before making a purchase decision.
Local agricultural machinery dealer : There are some local agricultural machinery dealers in Zibo who are involved in the sales of agricultural drones. For example, Xiangzhen Plant Protection Machinery in Linzi District is located 260 meters south of the intersection of Beiqi Road and Shouji Road in Linzi District, Zibo City, Shandong Province. The advantage of this type of local dealers is that they can provide more convenient localized services. Buyers can go directly to the store to view real machines and consult product information, and they may respond faster in terms of after-sales repairs and other aspects. At the same time, they have a better understanding of local agricultural needs and can recommend more suitable models to buyers based on the characteristics of farmland and crop types in the Zibo area.
Online e-commerce platform : Large e-commerce platforms such as Taobao and JD.com also have a wealth of agricultural drone products to choose from. When purchasing on these platforms, you need to pay attention to selecting merchants with good reputation, high sales volume and excellent reviews. Some merchants will provide additional gifts or promotions, such as free drone accessories, extended warranty period, etc. However, be wary of counterfeit and shoddy products sold by some informal merchants, and be sure to carefully check product parameters, after-sales service terms and other information.
(2) Factors to consider when purchasing
Adaptation to job requirements : Choose the appropriate model according to your own farmland size, crop type and operation content. If the farmland area is small, such as less than 100 acres, you can consider a small plant protection drone, such as the DJI MG-1P, which is flexible in operation and relatively low cost, and can meet the needs of pesticide spraying in small-scale farmland. For large areas of farmland, such as more than 500 acres, drones with large load capacity and long endurance such as the DJI T70 are more suitable, which can greatly improve operating efficiency and reduce operating time and costs. If in addition to pesticide spraying, pest and disease monitoring is also required, you can choose a drone equipped with multispectral sensors, such as some XAG P-series models, which can accurately identify pests and diseases by analyzing crop spectral information.
Performance parameter evaluation : Focus on performance parameters such as the drone’s load capacity, endurance time, and spraying accuracy. The load capacity determines the amount of pesticides or fertilizers carried in one operation. For example, when carrying out large-area fertilization operations, a drone with a load capacity of 10-20 liters can significantly reduce the number of round-trip replenishment times compared to a drone with a load capacity of 5 liters. Battery life directly affects the continuity of operations. Drones with long battery life can reduce the frequency of charging or refueling and improve operating efficiency. Spraying accuracy is related to the effectiveness and cost of pesticide use. High-precision spraying systems can ensure that pesticides evenly cover crops and avoid waste and overuse. For example, some high-end drones have a spraying accuracy of up to ±2 cm and can accurately control the dosage of chemicals.
budget planning : The price range of agricultural drones is large, ranging from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of yuan. It is necessary to formulate a budget taking into account your own economic strength and investment return expectations. In addition to the price of the drone itself, subsequent expenses such as accessories (such as batteries, chargers, spare propellers, etc.), after-sales service, and training fees also need to be considered. For example, purchasing a DJI T50 plant protection drone costs about 50,000 to 60,000 yuan, and the supporting batteries may cost several thousand yuan each. If you choose to purchase an official after-sales service package, you will need to pay an additional fee. At the same time, you can pay attention to the government subsidy policy. Zibo City has a purchase subsidy for smart agricultural machinery. On the basis of the national subsidy, the subsidy will be doubled, up to a maximum of 50% of the total purchase of the machine. Qualified agricultural production and operation organizations can apply for subsidies when purchasing agricultural drones to reduce the cost of purchasing machines.
3. Plant protection drone technical services
(1) Training services
Professional organization training : Zibo City actively carries out training on the operation of plant protection drones. The Zichuan District Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau has organized 4 special agricultural technology training sessions in 2025, covering 23 key agricultural business entities in the region, and the content includes practical technologies such as plant protection drone operation. In addition, some professional drone training institutions also provide relevant courses, such as the training institutions that cooperate with DJI in some areas of Zibo. The courses cover basic drone knowledge, flight operation skills, operation planning, safety precautions, etc. The training method adopts a combination of theoretical teaching and practical operation. The theoretical class explains the principles, structure, laws and regulations of drones, etc. The practical class arranges for students to conduct real aircraft flight exercises in professional venues to ensure that students are proficient in operating skills. The training cycle is usually 1-2 weeks. After the training, those who pass the assessment can obtain relevant operation certificates.
Enterprise after-sales training : Many agricultural drone sales companies will provide free after-sales training services to buyers. For example, after local agricultural machinery dealers sell drones, they will arrange for professional technicians to come to provide training to customers. The training content is customized according to customer needs and actual operating conditions, focusing on instructing customers on how to correctly operate the drone and the key points of daily maintenance. Like Xiangzhen Plant Protection Machinery, after customers purchase a drone, they will be provided with at least 3 days of on-site training to ensure that the customer can operate the drone independently and safely.
(2) Repair and maintenance services
Official after-sales network : Well-known drone brands have built a complete after-sales network nationwide, and Zibo users can enjoy convenient services. Take DJI as an example. It has official after-sales service centers in Jinan, Qingdao and other places, which are relatively close to Zibo. When a drone malfunctions, users can make an appointment for repair through DJI’s official after-sales channel, send the drone to the after-sales center or go directly for inspection and repair. The official after-sales center has professional maintenance equipment and technicians who can accurately diagnose faults and replace them with original parts to ensure the quality of repairs. At the same time, DJI also provides online after-sales consulting services. Users can inquire about drone use, troubleshooting and other issues at any time through the official website customer service or official APP.
Local maintenance outlets : Zibo also has some local agricultural machinery repair shops or drone repair outlets with repair capabilities. These outlets respond quickly to local user needs and have relatively low maintenance costs. For example, some local dealers sell drones and also provide maintenance services. They are familiar with common local drone failure types and can quickly solve simple problems such as blade damage and motor failure. For complex faults that cannot be repaired by oneself, users can also be assisted to contact the manufacturer or other professional maintenance organizations. In addition, local maintenance outlets can also provide services in drone maintenance, such as regularly cleaning the drone, checking the tightness of screws, calibrating sensors, etc., to extend the service life of the drone.
Remote technical support : Some advanced agricultural drones are equipped with remote monitoring and diagnostic systems, through which companies can monitor the operating status of drones in real time. When an abnormality occurs in the drone, technicians can perform fault diagnosis and preliminary troubleshooting remotely. For example, if the drone's flight is unstable during operation, technicians can check flight data, sensor parameters, etc. through remote connection to determine whether it is a hardware failure or a software setting problem. Some simple software problems can be solved through remote upgrades, parameter adjustments, etc., eliminating the need for users to send the drone for repair, which greatly saves time and cost. At the same time, companies can also provide users with operational guidance through remote technical support, such as adjusting drone spraying parameters and flight routes according to actual farm conditions.
The agricultural drone market in Zibo City is developing rapidly. When purchasing agricultural drones, careful selection based on multiple factors and full use of the complete technical service system can enable agricultural drones to better help Zibo's agricultural production move towards modernization and efficiency.