Under Sowing Cover Crops: Get a Head Start This Harvest

Using the down force of the 4 rotors to move the standing crop and get it swaying back and forth allows each seed to fall down and reach the ground to allow for its germination. The standing crop then offers protection for the new seeds and the moist ground enables the seeds to begin the germination process. The job is completed a few weeks ahead of harvest and a green field of cover crops can be visible during the time of harvest. Using this technique allows for the soil to be covered as soon as the main crop is harvested. The cover crop isn’t planted until late into the main crops growing cycle it doesn’t compete with it for the nutrients in the soil.

Precision drones returns to a job 6 weeks later to check the progress

The Benefits of Applying Cover Crops by Agricultural Drones

There are lots of benefits of having this task completed by a professional agricultural drone contractor. It saves the client time, no issues with the weather or finding the time to do it if the main harvest is over running. The drone causes no extra compaction of the soil. No risk of crop damage if under sowing because the drones don’t touch the crops. It saves on the diesel costs of running heavy machinery. All of these extra benefits can go towards meeting the governments targets for carbon and soil health.

Under Sowing the cover crops at the same time, or just after the main crop is another way of getting it established before harvest. Issues doing it this way are that the cover crop can compete with the main crop for the nutrients and often establish quicker. The cover crop will also be fully established when harvest time arrives. This will mean adjustments will need to be made for the cutting of the main crop to avoid any blockages and delays during the busy harvest time. Under sowing the cover crop using a drone can solve all of these problems and help save the farmer time after the busy harvest. Under sowing cover crops can also help towards government SFI Initiative.

We can also help broadcasting the cover crops after harvest. This is currently the preferred option for most clients. If its wet or time is limited we can quickly and effectively get the seeds broadcast out onto the land. This eliminates extra ground compaction and a healthy soil which is what we are trying to achieve.

SOH3: Multi-species summer-sown cover crop

£163 per hectare per year (over 3 years)

This government sustainable farming incentive can be achieved by under-sowing the cover crop before harvest using a precision spray/spreading drone. Using the 80 litre granular hopper the drone can potentially cover 19 hectares per hour. Being realistic with cover cropping and guaranteeing the area is evenly covered the drones are not flown at top speed. The speed of the drone all depends on the required coverage rate that the client has requested. The hoppers are then calibrated for the seed mix being applied. The drone will calculate the correct rate to send out of the hoppers at a set speed and distance covered.