Crop dusting · Northern California
Crop dusting for the northern valley.
Sutter Butte Dusters is a family-run aerial applicator in Live Oak, California. Since 1951 we have flown seed, fertilizer and crop protection for growers in Sutter, Yuba, Butte, Glenn, Colusa, Placer and Yolo counties.
- Base
- 4080 Clark Rd, Live Oak, CA
- Counties
- Sutter, Yuba, Butte, Glenn, Colusa, Placer, Yolo
- Fleet
- 5 Super B Ag Cats, 1 Air Tractor 602
- Office
- Mon–Fri, 8am–3pm · (530) 695-2294
Services
What we apply
Each service has its own page with timing, details and common questions.
Why growers use an airplane
An airplane does not touch the ground. That matters on flooded rice checks, on wet orchard floors in spring, and on row crops that are too tall for a ground rig. It also covers a lot of acres in a short window, which is often the difference between a good application and a late one.
- No wheel tracks and no soil compaction.
- Speed: large blocks finished inside the treatment window.
- Access: works on flooded or muddy fields.
- Even coverage from low, level passes at a set rate.
How we keep it safe and on target
Our pilots check wind before and during every job and plan around homes, schools, water and neighboring crops. We follow the product label and your pest control adviser's recommendation. If conditions are wrong, we wait.
Licensed and insured
- DPR Pest Control Business license
- 30517 Check it on the DPR licensee lists
- FAA Part 137 operator certificate
- NGTG762G
- County Agricultural Commissioner registrations
- 2026: Sutter, Yuba, Butte, Glenn, Colusa, Placer and Yolo counties
- Insurance
- We are fully insured. We send a certificate of liability insurance when you ask for it.
Season calendar
When we fly what
| Job | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rice seeding | Apr to May | ||||||
| Herbicide | May to Jun | ||||||
| Fertilizer | Apr to Jul | ||||||
| Fungicide and insecticide | Jun to Aug | ||||||
Typical timing in the northern Sacramento Valley. Weather and crop stage move these dates, so call to confirm for your field.
FAQ
Crop dusting questions
Crop dusting is the everyday name for aerial application: using an airplane to apply seed, fertilizer, or crop protection products such as herbicide, fungicide and insecticide to a field. Today most applications are liquid sprays, but the old name stuck.
Yes. Aerial application is a normal part of farming in the Sacramento Valley. Most California rice is seeded by air, and planes also apply crop protection and fertilizer on rice, orchards and row crops.
Call as soon as you know your timing. Usually we have a plane over your field within 24 hours of your call. Bad weather can delay a flight. In the spring rush (April to July), early notice helps us plan the loads. For pest outbreaks, call right away.
The field location (address, APN or FSA farm and tract number), the crop, approximate acres, the product and rate, and your timing. We can usually map the field ourselves from that.
Price depends on acres, product type (dry or liquid), application rate, ferry distance from Live Oak, and field shape and obstacles. Send the job details and we will give you a quote.
Drones work well on small or irregular blocks. An airplane carries a much bigger load and covers large acreage in a short window. For most rice, orchard and row-crop jobs over a few dozen acres, an airplane is faster.
Get on the schedule.
Tell us the field and the job. In a hurry? Call (530) 695-2294, Mon–Fri, 8am–3pm.