One Stop Cover Crop Shop - Conservation Districts of Iowa

Jack Knight
Allamakee SWCD Commissioner
Why?
Producer interest
 Program Participation

 EQIP
 CSP

Timing
 Not enough time for
cover crops to grow in
the fall
○ Typical killing frost
October 10
○ Soybean harvest Oct 1
Why?

No local retailers offered aerial cover
crop application
 Not enough acres
 Too busy to mix and deliver seed

Aerial Applicators didn’t see the demand
 Not enough acres from individual producers
to justify the cost of moving equipment
 Didn’t know about interest in cover crops
Goals of the Project
Timely cover crop establishment
 Give producers another option to seed
cover crops
 Demonstrate a demand for products and
services so private companies will offer
aerial cover crop seeding

How
Attempted to contact several aerial
seeding companies
 Only Klinkenborg Aerial Spraying
returned our calls

 Needed about 200 acres to justify the
expense of moving into the area
 Needed to find a way to get seed delivered
and loaded on to their loader truck
How


Contacted local seed
vendors to get prices
on seed and
coordinate delivery of
seed
Developed seed
mixes
 Meet NRCS Standards
 Meet program rules
○ Winter kill mixes
○ Winter hardy
 Cost between $20-$30
per acre
How


6 weeks before
seeding had a face
to face meeting with
aerial application
and seed dealer
Determined
responsibilities of
each partner
District Responsibilities

Work with producers
 Select seed mixes
 Determine locations

Bill producers for seed and application
 50% down payment, 50% due 15 days after
seeding

Enter producer data into online flight plan
 Producer info
 Field location
 Seed mix
Seed Dealer Responsibly
Mix seed
 Load seed into 2000 lb totes
 Deliver seed to airports
 Provide forklift and operator to put seed
in loader truck

Aerial Applicator Responsibilities
Notify seed dealer when deliveries are
needed
 Notify airports that they will be using
their facilities
 Load the plane
 Apply the correct seed to the correct
fields

2012 Aerial Seeding Project

Aerial Seeded Cover Crops
○ Over 1500 acres seeded Aug 23-26, 2012
 In Clayton, Allamakee, and Winneshiek Counties
 Used 3 different airports
○ Seeded 4 mixes into standing crops
 Cereal Rye
 Oats and radishes
 Cereal rye, radishes, red clover
 Annual ryegrass and radishes
○ Costs
 $15 per acre for application
 Seed cost was $21-33 per acre
2012 Aerial Seeding Project

Overall project was a success
 Excellent seed distribution
 No problems with wrong fields being seeded
 All species grew
 Overall, producers were satisfied
 Everyone paid their bills
 Generated a lot of interest in cover crops
 Brought people in the door to discuss
conservation
2012 Aerial Seeding Project

Problems
 Rainfall
○ Didn’t rain until 10 days after application
 Herbicide carry over
○ Radishes and clovers were harmed in some fields
 Annual ryegrass may have winter killed
 Ran out of seed for one mix
○ 7 acres short
○ District adjusted acres for payment
 Cows ran through a gate
 Applicator paid for a gate
2013 Project

Worked with neighboring districts with
project
 Winneshiek, Fayette, Clayton, and Houston
County, Minnesota
 Assisted with seed, seed mixes, and flight plans

Acres increased from 2012
 1500 ac in 2012 to over 9,000 acres in 2013





2,700 ac in Allamakee
3,100 ac in Clayton
1,500 ac in Winneshiek
1,500 in Houston
700 ac in Fayette
Considerations
Districts should focus on offering technical
knowledge
 Get local businesses involved

 If possible get them to work with their flying
service to aerial seed cover crops
Offering this service takes staff time and puts
district at financial risk
 Producers are interested in this program
even if they do not receive cost share

Spreader on Plane
Loader Truck
Loading the Truck
Loading the Plane
Seed in the Plane
Seeding the Cover Crops
Seed on the Ground
Seed in Crop Canopy
3 Weeks After Seeding
Cereal Rye
3 Weeks After Seeding
Oats and Radishes
3 Weeks After Seeding
Seedlings emerging from earth worm holes
6 Weeks After Seeding
Cereal Rye
3 Weeks After Seeding
Ryegrass and Radish
6 Weeks After Seeding
Oats and Radishes
7 Weeks After Seeding
8 Weeks After Seeding
Oats and Radish
8 Weeks After Seeding
Cereal Rye in Corn
9 Weeks After Seeding
Cereal Rye in Soybeans
9 Weeks After Seeding
Ryegrass in Soybeans
13 Weeks After Seeding
Radishes
Above Ground
Below Ground
13 Weeks After Seeding
Radishes on left grew in full sun/ Ones on right were in
crop canopy
13 Weeks After Seeding
Cereal Rye
Spring 2013
Cereal Rye in Soybeans April 23, 2013
Spring 2013
Cereal Rye in Corn May 15, 2013
Contact Information

Allamakee SWCD
 635 9th St NW
 Waukon, IA 52172
 (563) 568-2246 EXT 3

Photos from 2012 and 2013 may be
seen on the district website:
allamakeeswcd.org