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