ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER CROP SIDE 27 Drones have garnered significant attention in agriculture over the past few years as new technologies have emerged. When it comes to seeding, the latest drone models offer a spreading payload of 110 pounds and operating capacities of up to 40 acres per hour, highlighting their potential as an alternative to traditional ground or aerial application. The fit for cover crops and drones Cover crops deliver benefits ranging from erosion control to weed suppression, but there are obstacles to their widespread adoption. In Ontario, the most commonly cited barriers include limited equipment availability, excessive time demands, and a short growing season. Enter the drone. It frees up the drill to focus on wheat seeding, can be custom-hired, and enables earlier establishment in standing crops without tire track damage. But drone-seeding is as yet unproven. The key question is: which situations offer the highest potential for success? A new activity within the Living Lab – Ontario innovation project is seeking answers. Putting drone-seeding to the test On September 26, 2024, six sites across four counties were inter-seeded by drone—three soybean fields and three corn fields. In soybeans, three species (oats, cereal rye, and red clover) were seeded in fields ranging from 40 to 85 per cent leaf yellow; into corn, cereal rye was seeded in fields at the R4 or R5 stage. All sites received at least one quarter inch of rainfall within one week of seeding. Soybean inter-seeding results: • Oats established uniformly at two of three and achieved a very modest aboveground biomass of around 175 pounds/acre. • Best catch of oats (Figure 1) and rye occurred at a site with 30-inch row soybeans near Hamilton. • Poor cereal stands were linked to later-than-optimal seeding, heavy residue and slug feeding. • Red clover failed everywhere, likely due to herbicide sensitivity and late planting. Corn inter-seeding results: • Rye succeeded best on a fine sandy loam with low residue in Elgin County. • A complete stand failure occurred at the Hamilton site on a clay soil despite little residue interference. • A patchy stand was achieved at the final site in Norfolk County. Drone-seeding cover crops: does it work? Jake Munroe Crop side with... Jake Munroe, Soil Management Specialist, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness Figure 1. Oats seven weeks after drone seeding. Fall 2024. Takeaways and next steps Based on first-year results, cereal species seeded in low-residue environments tended to establish best, with greater consistency for soybean inter-seeding than corn. The Living Lab – Ontario drone-seeding activity will continue through to 2027, with drone seeding to be repeated at cooperating farms this fall to refine key factors for success. For more detailed information on the project, visit OSCIA’s Living Lab – Ontario webpage and Real Agriculture’s Soybean School. Funding for the project has been provided by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada under the Agricultural Climate Solutions (ACS) – Living Labs program and by the following partners: Beef Farmers of Ontario, Dairy Farmers of Ontario, Grain Farmers of Ontario, Ontario Federation of Agriculture, Ontario Pork, and Ontario Sheep Farmers. The project is coordinated by Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association. •
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