Cover crop planting method comparison

Flown by John Scott, Digital Agriculture Extension Coordinator, Purdue Extension

Different cover crop application methods and timing of those applications were evaluated at Ivy Tech in Lafayette, IN. Cover crop treatments are highlighted from right to left which corresponds to planting time. The cereal rye and hairy vetch cover crops on the right side of the image was interseeded into corn at a growth stage of about V4-V5 in June. The cover crop in the second section from the right was seeded using the DJI Agras at a rate of 70 pounds of cereal rye per acre in mid-September. Half of the plot was a cereal rye and hairy vetch mixture, and the other half was cereal rye and crimson clover. The next section was not planted with any cover crop and winter annuals can be seen in the image. The last section on the left was drilled with cereal rye and hairy vetch immediately after harvest (late October). The UAV applied cover crop did not produce more biomass than the interseeded plot on the far right but was superior to the post-harvest planting.

Image of cereal rye cover and not cover comparison

In-field Conservation Examples

Image of cereal rye was plantation
Prevent plant cover crop performance

In 2019, this producer took preventative planting due to wet spring conditions...

Learn More
Image of cereal rye was plantation divided by areas
Conventional vs. cover crop in soybeans

These flights evaluate conventional management with no-till cover crop management...

Learn More
Image of a field cover crop application methods and timing of those applications
Cover crop planting method comparison

Different cover crop application methods and timing of those applications were evaluated at Ivy...

Learn more
Image of a giant ragweed in cover crops
Giant ragweed in cover crops

In addition to the cover crop comparison above, some strips of cereal rye/hairy vetch were...

Learn More
Image of crops cover crop mixtures
Preliminary cover crop data collection to serve as a performance model

The map below was created a few days after spring termination of the cover crop. Treatments...

Learn more
Image of a sinterseed cover corn crops at planting
Cover crop interseed demonstration

A local producer wanted to interseed cover crops at planting time to maximize benefits and was...

Learn More
Image of a drone spreading crops
Drone cover crop seeding

A DJI Agras was used to spread cover crops over standing soybeans. Cover crop mixes varied and...

Learn more
Image of a crop health map, measure the depth of a grassed waterway
Strawberry planting

Stitching software can measure the depth of a grassed waterway to determine both water capacity...

Learn more