What equipment is needed to plant cover crops

You’ve done it! You’ve decided to plant your first cover crop. Now comes the management. Like many growers, you might be wondering how to get started or if you need to buy new equipment. This article will help you understand exactly what equipment you need to begin cover cropping so that you can sequester carbon and build soil health.

For new cover croppers, there are generally three main ways to seed the cover crop: with a no-till (NT) drill, ground broadcaster, or airplane. 

Which is the best to use? The answer depends on multiple factors, particularly which cash crop you are planting ahead of, into, or after. 

Most often, a no-till (NT) drill will be your best option and provide the most consistent stand. The table below has been created based on the experience of various cover croppers across the U.S. It shows how effective they found different planting methods over five years. 

As you can see, the NT drill was best at creating successful stands based on their experiences.

Now that we have some direction on the potential success rates of different application methods, there are some caveats. First, interseeding late season into standing corn is most easily accomplished by airplane. Some high clearance sprayers are now equipped with seeder kits which are great alternatives, but they may not be available in your area or work for the type of crop you are growing. In addition, if your remaining growing season window is short post harvest, your only option may be an airplane. 

The next caveat is for interseeding covers into corn at V3. A NT drill will not work unless you take row units off over the corn row or other cash crop. The method will still be effective, but it can also be highly time consuming and unsuitable for certain growers. In this scenario, a broadcaster or a custom-interseeder would be faster and easier planting options. 

If this is your first year planting a cover crop and you plan on starting with a limited number of fields, buying new equipment may not make the most financial sense. Instead, consider renting a NT drill. Custom rates generally range from $12 - $25/ac (Iowa State Custom Rate Survey-2020). Another alternative is to check out your local Soil Water Conservation District (SWCD) or NRCS office. Some of these offices have NT drills that can be rented by growers in their region.

If buying sounds like the better option, there are many popular and reputable options sold by John Deere, Case IH, Great Plains, CrustBuster, and others. The initial cost can vary significantly with age, size, and brand. On average, used machines will generally run $10K-$25K for a 15 foot NT drill and $25-$50K+ for a 30 or 40 foot NT drill.

What if buying a NT drill is too expensive, you don’t like the potential risks of planting with a ground broadcaster, and renting isn’t available or the best use of capital? You can still get cover cropping equipment affordably! Consider repurposing old equipment. There are many innovative ways to teach an old dog new tricks. Below, we’ve listed some of your best options. 

• Air seeder box + rotary hoe
  • Many of us have equipment sitting in the fence line not being used on a regular basis. Do you have a rotary hoe in your inventory? If so, consider repurposing it into your new cover crop seeder. Many companies make air seeders that can easily be mounted on top of a rotary hoe bar. Check out this video where a farmer shares his perspective on why he chooses a rotary hoe air seeder combo over a NT drill. 
• Air seeder box + vertical tillage tool or disk
  • You may not have a rotary hoe, but what about a vertical tillage tool or a rolling harrow basket? Either is suitable for mounting an air seeder box or pulling a seeder cart. A new or used 40 cubic foot seeder box will generally run between $5 – $15K. With a little machining, you’ll be off to the races. The advantage of this set up is speed and fewer parts to replace when compared to a NT drill. In addition, you will likely have a lower investment if you own either of the tools listed above. Check out this video from No-Till Farmer to hear about one farmer’s set-up.
• Air seeder box + combine mount
  • Concerned with adding extra labor? Another alternative is mounting an air seeder box to your combine. The fabrication costs will be higher, combining will take more time due to filling the seed box, but it will save you a pass across the field. Check out this article from No-Till Farmer and video on seeding cover crops for more ideas.
• Front mounted pendulum spreader + vertical tillage tool or rotary hoe
  • Maybe you don’t want to lock up as much capital into an orbital seeder, but you still have a rotary hoe, rolling harrow basket, or vertical tillage tool. In that case, consider a front mounted pendulum spreader. This can be mounted to the suitcase weights or to the frame. The suitcase weight bracket will cost $500 - $1,000, the pendulum spreader will be around $1.5K – 3.5K, and fabrication for the hydraulic line or installing a motor may be another $1K. All in all, this makes a fairly inexpensive seeder that allows for coverage of many acres.

Planting cover crops can be inexpensive when we use a little ingenuity. Seed to soil contact will provide the best consistency for your cover crop stand year over year. When you have questions, reach out to your local Indigo agronomist or get connected to other farmers in your area who are also farming carbon and advancing soil health. Have questions now? Chat with a carbon farming expert in the bottom right corner of your screen.

Written by Tom Lawler - Agronomist and proud soil health nerd