They’re Seeding Cover Crops While Combining

They’re Seeding Cover Crops While Combining COMBINES Accessories Why wait to seed cover crops post harvest when you can seed and combine at the same time? Drago Indiana mounted a Horsch Partner 80-bushel seeder on the back of a Claas 750 Lexion combine in 2016 The air delivery system spread cover crop seeds under the 12-row Drago header as corn was harvested     “I harvested about 3 000 acres with the combine/seeder system this past fall ” says Brent Michael farm manager at Drago Indiana “We compared the results side-by-side with drilled cover crops a few days later The emerging crop showed up better from seeding with the combine ”     Michael especially likes the Horsch bulk hopper’s capacity “I refilled it twice a day ” he says “It only took about 20 min ”     The on-farm trial is nothing unusual for the company which is a farmer-owned dealership for Drago and Horsch products Windy Lane Farms the farm side of the business has been using cover crops for the past 8 years     “I got tired of crossing every acre twice in the fall ” says Michael “If we have a wet fall we may need to wait an extra 2 to 3 weeks to seed Now when we finish harvest we’re finished seeding too ”     The Horsch Partner was mounted on a specially fabricated frame tied into the rear of the combine A large hose carries the cover crop seed forward to a manifold behind the corn head From there it is distributed to small hoses that go forward under each snout     “We blow the seed in before the rolls get to the stalks ” says Michael “As the crop is processed the crop residue falls over the top of the seed providing a moisture conserving mulch ”     The Horsch seeder has a split tank which Michael points out would allow the use of 2 different cover crops or 2 different mixes In Germany it is normally used for fertilizer application     “It eliminated fuel and labor costs as well as wear on equipment from a second pass across the field ” says Michael “In a normal year that runs $15 an acre At that rate the combine/seeder system will pay for itself quickly ”

    Michael estimates the cost of the Horsch Partner plus installation at around $45 000     Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Drago Indiana 6147 N County Rd 500 W Mulberry Ind 46058 ph 765 652-2121; brentamichael@gmail com; www dragoindiana com

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