What is in this article?:
- Cover-crop seeder pulls triple duty for small farms
- Sensor driven between rows
• The seeder can help farmers, especially small operations, save time and money by condensing multiple tasks into one trip through a no-till field. It also would allow farmers to seed fields that lacked cover crops due to late season and cost concerns.
More About:
Farmers using a cover-crop seeder developed by Penn State agricultural scientists may eventually need only a single trip across the field to accomplish what takes most farmers three passes and several pieces of equipment to do.
To watch a video about the cover-crop seeder, visit http://live.psu.edu/youtube/Pi0zbO61DgA online. To see images, visit http://live.psu.edu/flickrset/72157626662471985 online.
Pennsylvania farmers are increasingly interested in growing cover crops, but the time, cost and late fall harvest of corn and other crops often limit their use, said Gregory Roth, professor of agronomy.
The seeder can help farmers, especially small operations, save time and money by condensing multiple tasks into one trip through a no-till field. It also would allow farmers to seed fields that lacked cover crops due to late season and cost concerns.
"It can do three things in one pass," Roth said. "It can seed the cover crop, add fertilizer and spray a herbicide to kill emerged weeds."
Unlike plowing, no-till farming uses a minimal amount of ground disturbance when planting seeds, a method that improves the soil and prevents erosion. Cover crops play an important role in reducing runoff and helping to build organic material in the soil during the fall and spring.
