The History of Crop Dusting in Arkansas

I live in Central Arkansas, right on the edge of the Delta. The unmistakable whir of a crop duster overhead is a sure sign that summer has settled in. The planes crisscross the sky, skimming low over fields before banking into another pass, treating rice, cotton, soybeans and other crops when weeds, insects or disease threaten a farmer’s narrow window for a successful harvest. I’ll admit, I always cringe a little when I see one making its rounds. In a perfect world, none of the chemicals would be necessary. But after learning more about the history of agricultural aviation, I’ve also come to appreciate the incredible skill it takes to fly these missions and the role they’ve played in shaping Arkansas agriculture.

Photo and cover photo courtesy of Harris Agricultural Photography.

Before we dive into the history of crop dusting, it’s important to point out that, along with changes in time and technology, come changes in terminology. Today, the industry prefers the terms agricultural aviation or aerial application, but around Arkansas, most of us still call them crop dusters. Since this article looks back at the early days of the industry, I’ll use the term crop duster. It’s the name most people recognize and the one that best reflects the era being explored.

The early 1900s were a remarkable time for aviation. Just two decades after the Wright brothers proved powered flight was possible, inventors, pilots and engineers were already discovering new ways airplanes could change everyday life. One of the first breakthroughs came on August 3, 1921, when a U.S. Army pilot flew over a grove of catalpa trees near Troy, Ohio, successfully applying powdered lead arsenate to control destructive caterpillars. The Ohio experiment caught the attention of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which was looking for better ways to battle the boll weevil in Southern cotton fields. Within a year, crop dusting was being tested over cotton near Tallulah, Louisiana. It was one of the first signs that aviation wasn’t just changing transportation. It was beginning to change agriculture, too. Crop dusting didn’t simply appear in Arkansas. It arrived because people like Richard Schilberg had already convinced Arkansans that airplanes could be practical tools, not just thrilling spectacles.

Photo of Irene and J.O. Dockery courtesy of Grand Prairie Historical Society and H. Glenn Mosenthin.

While Richard Schilberg helped convince Arkansans that airplanes could be practical, Jess Orval “J.O.” Dockery showed what they could accomplish. Dockery’s fascination with flying began before he came to Stuttgart. At just twelve years old, while living in Texas, a pilot took him for a ride and taught him the basics of flying. Left behind to watch the airplane while the pilot was away, Dockery couldn’t resist climbing into the cockpit himself. He took off on his first solo flight without permission. Rather than scolding the young boy, the pilot was so impressed that he took Dockery under his wing and continued teaching him to fly.

In 1924, at the age of 15, Dockery and fellow pilot Allen Scott flew what is considered the first commercial aerial crop-dusting operation in the Lower Mississippi Valley, treating cotton fields for the Delta & Pine Land Company in Mississippi. Their success proved that airplanes could be an effective tool against the boll weevil and helped persuade Huff-Daland Dusters to relocate its operations to Monroe, Louisiana. That company would eventually evolve into Delta Air Lines, giving one of America’s largest airlines an unexpected connection to agricultural aviation.

Photo courtesy of Grand Prairie Historical Society and H. Glenn Mosenthin.

Dockery eventually returned to Stuttgart, where he built one of the region’s earliest agricultural aviation businesses. He designed equipment, modified aircraft and looked for new ways airplanes could serve farmers. In 1938, he became the first person to seed rice by airplane anywhere outside California, demonstrating the technique on a farm east of Stuttgart. His work helped establish the Grand Prairie as a center for agricultural aviation and cemented the role airplanes would play in Arkansas farming for generations to come.

J.O. Dockery is also known for having landed a Cessna plane on the Broadway Bridge in Little Rock in 1948. The plane was being displayed at a trade show at Robinson Auditorium.

Photo courtesy of Grand Prairie Historical Society and H. Glenn Mosenthin.

Following World War II, crop dusting really began to take off across Arkansas. Many military pilots returned home with years of flying experience, and surplus airplanes, especially the familiar Stearman biplanes, found a second life over farm fields instead of military airfields. The planes were modified to carry seed or agricultural products, and small airports and private landing strips became common across the Delta and Grand Prairie. Before long, it wasn’t unusual to see airplanes working alongside tractors during the growing season.

As farming changed, so did the airplanes. Manufacturers eventually began building aircraft designed specifically for agricultural work instead of adapting older military planes. They could carry heavier loads, cover more ground and better withstand the demands of flying low over fields day after day. What started as an experiment to control insects had become an important tool for growing rice, cotton, soybeans and other Arkansas crops.

Today’s crop dusters look very different from the airplanes Richard Schilberg and J.O. Dockery knew. Modern pilots rely on GPS and other technology to help them make accurate passes across a field, and some farms are even beginning to use drones for certain jobs. Even so, the goal hasn’t really changed. Whether it’s protecting a crop from insects, controlling weeds or preventing disease, agricultural aviation continues to help Arkansas farmers care for the crops that have shaped the Delta and the Grand Prairie for generations.

Photos courtesy of the J. O. Dockery Family.