Dillon Blythe of Blythe Crop Solutions in Marengo, Iowa, has always had agriculture in his blood. “I started BLC Crop Solutions back in 2021 and established it as a soil sampling business and evolved to a seed dealership,” Dillon says. His seed business naturally grew into chemical and fungicide sales, setting the stage for the next logical step: drones. “I started spraying a year ago. It's probably been the hardest, yet best, thing I've ever got into,” he states.
For Dillon, this past season was the first year of drone spraying. “2025 was the first year I sprayed on my own and probably the best year to start because it was the biggest Southern Rust year ever recorded.” The timing proved perfect for launching his drone operation. Dillon points out that the technology gave him a distinct edge, especially in Iowa’s tougher, more contoured fields. “I sprayed farms for guys that have never seen fungicide before. On average, I raised my customers APH 5 to 10 bushels because the drone allowed me to get to those hard-to-reach areas, field edges, and timing.” In a side-by-side comparison with an airplane, Dillon was able to deliver 15 bushels per acre better results than traditional methods. “It totally revolutionized my business overnight. I was able to generate revenue faster than anything I’ve ever sold before,” he says.
Dillon highlights the strategic advantages drones provide. “It gives a grower control over an application that he's never had control over before. It gives a grower an opportunity to try some things he's never tried before. With an airplane or a helicopter, it's all or none. But with a drone, you can do two or three different fungicide timings, two or three different fungicide rates.” He points out that drones also overcome many limitations of ground rigs. “It doesn't matter if it rained last night. It doesn't matter if the field is contoured. It doesn't matter if the grower is on 20-inch rows or 30-inch rows. None of that is an issue with a drone.”
For Dillon, working with Airstrike Ag and Nathan was a game-changer. While Dillon didn’t buy his initial drone from Airstrike, once he met the Airstrike team at one of their clinics, he realized not all drone dealers were the same.
“Before I went to Airstrike's clinic, I had actually paid the dealer I was working with $2,000 for training, but there was no training whatsoever. I learned more about drones in a day at that clinic than I had learned in the three or four months I had been researching. I knew right away that he was the best in the business as far as knowledge on what these things can and cannot do.”
Nathan’s guidance also increased Dillon’s operational efficiency. “There were some settings that were not correct on my drone. I was spraying 35 to 45 acres an hour. The things that Nathan helped me with changed that to about 55 to 65 acres an hour. The back half of the season, I gained about four to five days of operation and picked up another 2,000 acres of fungicide.”
Beyond technical knowledge, Dillon emphasizes integrity and support. “He’s willing to help and he's honest, which is a huge thing in the drone world with these dealers. He went above and beyond for me when he didn't have to, and that says a lot. Anyone can sell a drone, but not everyone can help you build a drone business. Nathan knows how to help you build a business.”
Dillon sees drone application as his niche and a market leadership opportunity. “I'm basically the market leader in my local area for drone applications. Last year I said, “I'll try it and see if I can break even.” Now it's expanded to the point where I'm going to get another trailer and run four drones. This is going to be my thing.”
For growers looking to add precision, control, and efficiency to their operations, Dillon doesn’t hesitate. “If you want a real-world agricultural experience with knowledgeable people that are honest and have integrity, you should do business with Airstrike Ag.”
"I knew right away that he was the best in the business."
