Drone Seeding Cover Crops Into Standing Crops in Ireland

Establish cover crops earlier, reduce ground traffic and make better use of the growing window

For Irish tillage farmers, establishing a cover crop is often a race against the weather.

The main crop needs to be harvested. Straw needs to be managed. The field needs to be prepared. Machinery needs to be available. And the weather needs to cooperate.

By the time all of that happens, valuable weeks of growing time can already be lost.

But what if the cover crop could be established before the main crop is harvested?

Agricultural drone technology is opening up an interesting possibility for Irish tillage farming: broadcasting suitable cover-crop seed into a standing crop from above, allowing the cover crop to establish underneath the main crop before harvest.

Instead of waiting for the combine to leave the field before starting the next crop, the establishment process can potentially begin while the main crop is still standing.

Why establishing cover crops early matters in Ireland

Teagasc advises that cover crops should generally be established as early as possible after harvest because relatively small differences in sowing date during August can have a major effect on growth.

That creates a significant challenge for Irish farmers.

Harvest doesn’t always happen when planned.

A wet August can delay combining.

A dry spell can make soil conditions unsuitable.

A busy contractor may not be available immediately.

And once the main crop is harvested, there can be several other jobs competing for the farmer’s time.

The result can be a cover crop being planted later than intended.

Earlier establishment means more growing time

A cover crop needs time to:

– Germinate
– Develop roots
– Capture nutrients
– Produce biomass
– Cover the soil
– Compete with weeds
– Develop before winter

Teagasc’s research has repeatedly highlighted the importance of early establishment.

This is where aerial seeding could offer something different.

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Seed the cover crop before harvest

The concept is straightforward.

Step 1 — The main crop is still standing

The wheat, barley or other suitable crop continues to grow normally.

Step 2 — Cover-crop seed is broadcast from above

An agricultural drone flies over the standing crop and distributes the selected seed across the field.

There is no tractor driving through the crop simply to establish the cover.

Step 3 — The seed reaches the soil

Depending on the crop structure, seed size, canopy density, weather and application conditions, the seed can fall through the crop canopy towards the soil surface.

Step 4 — The cover crop starts establishing

The cover crop gets a head start while the main crop is still approaching harvest.

Step 5 — The main crop is harvested

The combine carries out the normal harvest operation.

The objective is that the cover crop is already present beneath the harvested crop rather than starting from zero after harvest.

Step 6 — The cover crop continues growing

Instead of losing several weeks waiting for post-harvest drilling, the established plants can continue developing.

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No tractor driving through the standing crop

One of the most interesting advantages of aerial establishment is the reduction in ground traffic.

Traditional undersowing or post-harvest establishment requires machinery to enter the field.

That can mean:

– Wheelings
– Soil compaction
– Crop traffic
– Additional fuel use
– Additional machinery time
– Dependence on suitable ground conditions

A drone operates above the crop.

That means cover-crop seed can potentially be distributed without driving a tractor and seeder across the standing crop.