Crop dusting in Live Oak, CA · Since 1951: Your window is short. We fly it on time.
Aerial seeding, crop protection and fertilizer for growers in Sutter, Yuba, Butte, Glenn, Colusa, Placer and Yolo counties. Family-run, local pilots, six aircraft.
Why growers call us
The plane is the easy part.
The timing is the job.
Applied inside your window
A home strip in Live Oak means short ferry flights to fields across 7 counties.
Every acre, the right rate
Experienced ag pilots fly low, level passes with calibrated equipment.
We know your field before you call
Mapping software and an ag real-estate background give us layout, acreage and FSA numbers.
20,000 applications.
In five seasons.
One application is one job. Here is what those jobs look like over a year.
- 24hrsor less from your call to a plane over your field. That is our usual time, not our fastest.
- We are there when you need us, not when it suits our schedule. When pests show up or the window is closing, call today. We usually fly by tomorrow.
- 100%of our 4,000 applications a year flown inside the grower's window
- That is about 11 applications a day, averaged over all 365. Weather delays are not counted: if the wind is wrong, we wait.
- 30,000acres of crop ground we fly each year, each acre 5 to 8 times a season
- About 47 square miles. That is more than three times the size of Yuba City. One application is one job, and most fields need several jobs each season.
- 150growers on our customer list
- Rice, orchard and row-crop growers across 7 counties: Sutter, Yuba, Butte, Glenn, Colusa, Placer, Yolo.
- 75yrsflying the valley, since 1951
- One family business, six aircraft and a home strip in Live Oak, in the shadow of the Sutter Buttes.
Rounded figures from our own records. One application is one job. On-time rate excludes weather delays. Bad weather can delay a flight.
Services
What we fly
Aerial application for rice, orchards and row crops across the northern Sacramento Valley.
Aerial seeding
Rice and cover-crop seed spread evenly over flooded or dry fields.
Crop protection
Herbicide, fungicide and insecticide applied at the right rate, on time.
Fertilizer
Dry and liquid fertilizer, top-dressed without driving on the crop.
Drone data
Survey-grade RTK mapping, multispectral crop health and stockpile volumes.
Also: Aerial photography · Short-term airplane storage · Drone data · We buy planes
How it works
Four steps. One phone call.
STEP 01
Send your field and job
Use the quote form or call. A field address, APN or FSA farm and tract number is enough to start.
STEP 02
We map it and confirm
Our mapping software and ag real-estate background give us your field layout and acreage. We check hazards and sensitive areas nearby.
STEP 03
We fly in your window
We schedule around weather, wind and your crop stage, and tell you when the plane is on the way.
STEP 04
The job is done and recorded
You get confirmation when the application is complete, with the details you need for your records.
Service area
Five counties. One home strip.
Based at 4080 Clark Rd in Live Oak, in the shadow of the Sutter Buttes. Short flights to fields across the northern Sacramento Valley.
The fleet
Built for low and slow.
Five Super B Ag Cats and one Air Tractor 602, maintained in our own hangar.
Five Super B Ag Cats
The heart of the fleet. Purpose-built ag biplanes.
The shark mouth
Our livery. Easy to spot over the valley.
Low-level work
Low, level passes for even coverage.
N36265
Restricted-category agricultural aircraft.
Since 1951
Three generations in the valley.
A family business that has flown Sacramento Valley fields for 75 years.
1951
1951
Frank Sue flies crop dusting jobs from Live Oak, in the shadow of the Sutter Buttes. The business traces its roots to these years.
1964
1964
Sutter Butte Dusters is incorporated in its current form on January 15, 1964.
Rice
Rice
Rice becomes the valley's signature crop, and aerial seeding over flooded checks becomes the core of the spring season.
Today
Today
Six aircraft, local pilots and ground crew, plus drone mapping and modern field-mapping software.
Season calendar
When we fly what.
Book early. The spring rush runs from April to July.
| 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.
Crops
What we fly over
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.
Our pilots fly low, level passes, check wind before and during the job, and plan around sensitive areas such as homes, schools, water and neighboring crops. If the wind is wrong, we wait.
Sutter, Yuba, Butte, Glenn, Colusa, Placer and Yolo counties, from our base at 4080 Clark Rd in Live Oak, California.
Field notes
From the hangar
Plane vs drone vs ground
Crop duster helicopter vs airplane: which fits your field?
October 19, 2026 · 8 min read
Ag pilot careers
Crop dusting jobs: how to become an ag pilot (and other roles)
October 18, 2026 · 8 min read
Safety and the community
Spray drift: what causes it and how aerial applicators stop it
October 17, 2026 · 8 min read
Request an application
Get on the schedule.
Tell us the field and the job. We call you back during office hours. In a hurry? Call (530) 695-2294, Mon–Fri, 8am–3pm.