One of the most-searched questions in Irish agri-drone circles is: "Can I use [product X] with my drone?" The short answer for most plant protection products in Ireland right now is no — but the longer answer is more nuanced, and depends on exactly what you're applying. This guide covers every major product class.
Ireland has no national derogation from the aerial application ban under the transposed Sustainable Use Directive (2009/128/EC). No plant protection products are licensed for aerial application in Ireland. This blanket prohibition applies regardless of the drone, the product, or the intended use — until a derogation is created by DAFM. See the full explanation in our drone spraying legal guide →
With that baseline understood, here is the product-by-product breakdown of what the current and future regulatory position looks like.
Plant Protection Products (PPPs) — Herbicides, Fungicides, Insecticides
Current Status: ❌ Not Permitted
Plant protection products — the formal regulatory category covering herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, and plant growth regulators — are the core of the aerial application prohibition. These are the products regulated under Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 and the Irish Sustainable Use Directive transposition.
Regardless of the product, the crop, the drone, or the application method, aerial application of any PPP in Ireland requires:
- A national derogation from the DAFM — which does not currently exist
- The product to hold a specific aerial use authorisation in its Irish registration — no product currently does
Herbicides specifically
Glyphosate, clopyralid, fluroxypyr, MCPA, triclopyr — all prohibited for aerial use. This includes knapsack-equivalent products that might seem low-risk. The prohibition is on the application method, not the product hazard level. A low-toxicity herbicide applied from a drone is still aerial application of a PPP.
Fungicides specifically
Azoles, strobilurins, SDHI fungicides, copper-based organic products — all prohibited. This is perhaps the most commercially frustrating category given Ireland's climate and the critical importance of fungicide timing in Irish cereal and potato production.
Insecticides
Pyrethroids, neonicotinoids (where still authorised), biopesticides — all prohibited for aerial use by drone.
When Will This Change?
The EU's proposed Sustainable Use Regulation (SUR), working through the legislative process, contains Article 21 — an explicit framework for Member States to grant drone spraying exemptions where drones demonstrably reduce risk compared to ground equipment. When this passes and Ireland implements it via DAFM, PPP aerial application by qualifying drones will become possible. Our advocacy page tracks the timeline and what you can do to push for faster Irish action.
Liquid Fertilisers
Current Status: ⚠️ Unclear — Likely Unregulated but Verify
Liquid fertilisers — foliar nitrogen, liquid NPK, trace element solutions — do not fall under the PPP regulatory framework. They are not plant protection products; they are nutrients. In principle, the aerial application prohibition under the Sustainable Use Directive applies specifically to plant protection products, not to fertilisers.
However, the Irish regulatory position on this is not explicitly stated. DAFM's guidance on aerial application prohibition references PPPs specifically, which suggests fertiliser application may not be covered by the same ban. This needs direct confirmation from DAFM before any commercial operation.
Practical note: Granular fertiliser spreading by drone is a separate question again — see below. Liquid foliar fertiliser application by drone is potentially permissible but the regulatory confirmation is absent from Irish official guidance.
The IAA's Advisory Memorandum UAM-016 (Guidance on Agricultural Applications of Unmanned Aircraft Systems) may contain relevant guidance — check the current version directly at iaa.ie before acting on any assumption about fertiliser application legality.
Organic Products (Copper, Sulphur, Biological Controls)
Current Status: ❌ Prohibited (if authorised as PPPs) / ⚠️ Check (if not registered as PPPs)
This is where it gets nuanced. Copper-based fungicides and sulphur products used in organic farming are registered as plant protection products in Ireland — which means the aerial application prohibition applies to them exactly as it does to synthetic fungicides. Their organic origin doesn't change their regulatory classification.
However, biological control agents — predatory insects, beneficial nematodes, Bacillus thuringiensis formulations, Trichoderma — occupy a different regulatory space. Some are not registered as PPPs but as other product categories. Their aerial application status requires case-by-case verification.
This matters because the German national standard scenario (the model Ireland should follow) explicitly extended drone operation approval beyond spraying to include "biological control situations, such as using drones to control European corn borer with Trichogramma." Releasing beneficial insects from a drone has a different risk profile to spraying a synthetic insecticide, and regulators recognise this.
Granular Applications (Seed, Fertiliser Pellets, Lime)
Current Status: ✅ Likely Permitted — Verify with IAA
Drones equipped with spreading hoppers (such as the DJI Agras T40's 50kg spread system) can distribute granular materials including grass seed, cover crop seed, fertiliser pellets, and potentially lime granules. These operations generally do not involve plant protection products and are therefore not covered by the aerial application prohibition.
Key applications in an Irish context:
- Over-seeding: Drone seeding of grass, clover, wildflower mixes into existing swards without cultivation. Particularly relevant for ACRES scheme ecological actions.
- Cover crop seeding: Post-harvest cover crop establishment by drone, especially into standing stubble where drilling isn't possible.
- Amenity seeding: Golf courses, parks, road verges.
- Peatland restoration: Sphagnum moss spore distribution over inaccessible bogland — a growing application in Irish conservation work.
Drone spreading operations still require appropriate EASA operating category compliance (likely Open Category for sub-25kg drones, Specific Category for heavier platforms). The aviation side is managed through the IAA.
Water / Plain Water Carrier
Current Status: ✅ Permitted
A drone carrying only clean water — used for dust suppression, soil moisture management experiments, or other non-PPP applications — does not trigger the PPP aerial application prohibition. This is not a commercially significant use case in most farming contexts but is relevant to researchers and those conducting proof-of-concept work.
Summary Table: Product Class vs Legal Status
| Product Class | Status (Apr 2026) | When Could Change |
|---|---|---|
| Herbicides | ❌ Prohibited | After DAFM derogation + product licensing |
| Fungicides (synthetic) | ❌ Prohibited | After DAFM derogation + product licensing |
| Fungicides (organic — copper, sulphur) | ❌ Prohibited (registered PPPs) | After DAFM derogation + product licensing |
| Insecticides | ❌ Prohibited | After DAFM derogation + product licensing |
| Plant growth regulators | ❌ Prohibited | After DAFM derogation + product licensing |
| Liquid fertilisers (foliar) | ⚠️ Unclear — verify with DAFM | Clarification needed now |
| Biological controls (non-PPP) | ⚠️ Case by case | Check IAA UAM-016 guidance |
| Granular seed / fertiliser spreading | ✅ Likely permitted | Already possible — verify with IAA |
| Water only | ✅ Permitted | Already permitted |
What You Should Do Right Now
If you are planning any drone application work in Ireland, the pre-operation checklist is straightforward:
- Is the product a registered PPP in Ireland? If yes, it cannot be applied by drone currently. Check the DAFM pesticides register at pcs.efsa.europa.eu or directly with DAFM.
- Is the product a fertiliser or non-PPP? Contact DAFM's Pesticide Registration and Controls Division directly to confirm whether the aerial application prohibition applies to your specific product.
- Is your planned application granular spreading of seed or non-PPP materials? Contact the IAA to confirm the appropriate operating category for your drone and intended operation.
- Do not assume. The legal position in Ireland is not fully documented in public guidance for every product class. When in doubt, get written confirmation from the relevant authority before operating.
Get Notified When the Law Changes
The SUR regulation will change this picture. When DAFM acts, Hexagon.ie will tell you immediately — including which products are newly authorised and what you need to operate legally.