Polk Soil and water conservation district

Drone Cover Crop Seeding

Field Day

Overview

The Polk Soil and Water Conservation District Regenerative Farming Cover Crop Demonstration Plot is a 5 acre plot located at 16581 NE 42nd St, Cambridge, IA 50046.

This year’s cover crops were seeded by an AGRAS T50 drone operated by Andy Wails from Precision Aerial Applications at the August 28th Cover Crop Seeding Field Day. Participants came to learn about the plot, watch the seeding, ask questions, and learn about the wealth of benefits cover crops bring to the soil.

Sessions

Session 1: Introduction and Demonstration Plot

Session 2: Drone Seeding Demonstration, Questions and Answers

Session 3: Cover Crops and Soil Health Demonstration with NRCS

Session 4: Funding Available in Polk County, Iowa

Oats

Iowa Cover Crop Fact Sheet: Oats

Oats are a quick growing cool season annual that typically winter kills in Iowa.

Radish

Iowa Cover Crop Fact Sheet: Radish

Tillage radish is a cool season annual brassica with a long taproot that helps increase water infiltration while reducing compaction.

Turnip

Iowa Cover Crop Fact Sheet: Turnip

Turnips are cool season biennial brassicas that reduce compaction and provide quality grazing.

Rapeseed

Iowa Cover Crop Fact Sheet: Rapeseed

Rapeseed is a fast growing brassica that works great in mixes to capture nitrogen, increase infiltration, and reduce compaction.

Crimson Clover

Iowa Cover Crop Fact Sheet: Crimson Clover

Crimson clover is a quick growing cool season/winter annual legume with strong root systems, soil, and grazing benefits.

Introduction

Michael James, Central Iowa Land Stewardship Coordinator

This year’s cover crop seeding mix was chosen to reduce workload in the spring and reduce the need for inputs for termination, saving both time and money.

The mix is made up of:

32lbs Oats
1lb Radish
1lb Turnip
1lb Rapeseed
1.5lbs Crimson Clover

Drone Seeding, Questions and answers

Andy Wailes, Precision Aerial Applications

Drones offer a new and innovative method for broadcast seeding cover crops. Watch the drone’s first pass over the Polk SWCD Regenerative Farming Cover Crop Demonstration Plot.

Andy Wailes, professional cover crop aerial application drone operator, provides in depth answers to frequently asked questions by farmers about seeding cover crops with drone application.

Start a conversation with one of our technicians to get recommendations about what seeding mix and application method best meets your farm management goals.

Cover Crop Seeding Methods

Check out the blog post: “A Look at Cover Crop Seeding Methods” by Mark Licht, ISU Extension.

Check out the article: “Cover Crop Seeding Techniques: Aerial Seeding” from Iowa Learning Farms.

Planning for Successful Cover Crops

Check out the blog post: “Planning for Successful Cover Crops” by Ethan Thies, ISU Extension.

NRCS Technical Note: Interseeding Cover Crops

Check out the pamphlet: NRCS Iowa Agronomy Technical Note 36: Interseeding Cover Crops.

Slake & Slump Test

The Slake & Slump test is easy to simulate in your own field with upcycled resources, as shown by our presenters. This test visually evaluates the quality of your soil aggregates, showing you how your soil either stays aggregated or erodes off the field.

Rainfall Simulator

View the NRCS Rain Simulator Soil Slake test on similar soils under different management.

Soil Health Principals

Dig in to the USDA NRCS Soil Health Principals.

SARE Cover Crop Innovator Series

Don’t just take our word for it: Cover Crops and No Till are a tried and true soil management practices beloved by many successful farmers. If you don’t know his name, you know his meme: Dave Brandt, the Ohio farmer famous for saying “It ain’t much, but it’s honest work,” was a conservation hero and huge supporter of both cover crops and no till.

Hear Clay Mitchell’s experience with cover crops on his 3,000 acre operation in Waterloo, Iowa:

Find out what other farmers have to say in the Cover Crop Innovator Series from SARE.

Cover Crops and Soil Health Demonstration with NRCS

Hillary Olson and JD Hollingsworth

Cover crops address three out of the four Soil Health Principals: Maximizing living roots, soil cover, and biodiversity. Different cover crops can be used and mixed together to support multiple farm management needs.

View the video to get advice from experienced farmers and soil health specialists from our friends at the NRCS: Learn how to improve your soil health to increase your yield, decrease your inputs, control erosion, and increase water infiltration using cover crops.

See the difference for yourself during our slate test demonstration, and learn how to perform your own soil structure testing right on your field.

Funding in Polk County, Iowa

Riley Bass, Polk SWCD Water Quality Initiative Coordinator

There are Federal, State, and Private funding programs for cover crops and no till available to Polk County, Iowa residents.

Federal and state cover crop cost share cannot be stacked together on the same acres. However, some privately funded cost share programs, such as that provided by Practical Farmers of Iowa, can be stacked with federal or state cost share dollars. The Iowa Agriculture and Water Alliance has published a helpful Cost Share Comparison Chart to list available programs and how they stack.

Contact Riley Bass, the Polk SWCD Water Quality Initiative Coordinator, to get started on your next cover crop application: 515-964-1883×3 or riley.bass@ia.nacdnet.net.

WQI Statewide

The WQI Statewide program is open every year and has two different rates for new users who have never attempted cover crops, and previous users who have attempted cover crops (whether or not you have applied for cost share funding previously).

New users: $30 per acre, up to 160 acres.

Previous Users: $20 per acre, up to 160 acres.

Enrollment for this program typically opens in June for new users. Applications are funded on a first come first serve basis until the funding is exhausted.

WQI Next Gen Demo Projects

The WQI Next Gen Demo Project Program provides $25 per acre, unlimited acres, to new and previous users in Polk County Priority Watersheds:

Walnut Creek
Mud Creek
Camp Creek
Spring Creek
Fourmile Creek
South Skunk River

Applicants are accepted into this program on a rolling basis.

IFIP

The IFIP Cover Crop program is a one time use sign up per applicant. This program pays $25 per acre, unlimited acres, for 1-4 years.

The funds for all applied years are paid after the first year’s planting; failure to follow through with all seedings will result in the applicant paying back the state for years that are not seeded.

There are limitations on the number of acres the district may approve per year within this program.

EQIP

The Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) is a USDA NRCS program with a yearly enrollment and ranking processes. Follow the link above to learn more about the program and how to apply in Iowa.

Practical Farmers of Iowa

Practical Farmers of Iowa offer a stackable Cover Crop Cost Share Program to farmers in Iowa and eligible counties in surrounding states.

The 2025 rates for this program were $10-$12 per acre (depending on submitted materials), up to 240 acres.

Farmers for Soil Health

Farmers for Soil Health is a collaborative effort initiative led by the Soy Checkoff, Pork Checkoff and National Corn Growers Association in partnership with state commodity groups and conservation organizations.

2024 funding for this program provided $50 per acre for new cover crop acres split over 3 years: $25 per acre year one, $15 per acre year two, and $10 per acre year three. They also provided $2 per acre for farmers already planting cover crops.

The goal of Polk SWCD is to protect water quality and conserve soil resources in Iowa.

To provide leadership that helps people improve, conserve, and sustain our natural resources while educating them on the importance and practicality of maintaining our environment and quality of life.