Plant Cover Crops

Learning about the benefits of planting cover crops.

High-boy application

Applying Cover Crops with a High-Boy

Over the past few years farmers and ground applicators have been looking for new and innovative ways to apply cover crops.  One of the more successful ways has been with a high-boy or Hagie sprayer/spreader.  My friend Craig Simon from NE Indiana had a mixture of Oats and Rye and Turnips applied this way by Andy Ambriole in August 2012.

Craig intends to graze his cover crops as he has done for the past 3 years.  Each year Craig has had his best corn and soybeans in the areas where he had cover crops the previous year.

Although not as fast as aerial applying cover crops; a high-boy type spreader does a fabulous job. Here is Andy Ambriole from near Ft. Wayne, IN applying Craig Simon's cover crop grazing mix of Oats, Winter Cereal Rye, and Appin Turnips in late August 2012.
Although not as fast as aerial applying cover crops; a high-boy type spreader does a fabulous job. Here is Andy Ambriole from near Ft. Wayne, IN applying Craig Simon’s cover crop grazing mix of Oats, Winter Cereal Rye, and Appin Turnips in late August 2012.

 

12″ tall Appin turnips and oats along with corn stalks will provide excellent feed for the rest of the fall and winter. The winter cereal rye is short now but will grow more over winter and next spring to provide additional grazing opportunities.

The advantages of using a high-boy type applicator:

  • More exact placement of seed than aerial application
  • Little if any risk of any drift into neighboring fields
  • Faster application than drilling
  • Earlier application than drilling
  • Cost effective compared to aerial application and drilling

Disadvantages of using a high-boy type applicator:

  • Less acres covered in a day compared to aerial application
  • Soil conditions must be right to avoid compaction
  • Does not incorporate the seed like a drill

While there are few “disadvantages” this practice should increase in popularity over the next few years as more and more acres are covered with cover crops.

Andy’s unit on display at a cover crop workshop. He has done a very good job and an increasing number of acres each year.
Craig Simon’s cover crop mixture that was applied with a high-boy type spreader into standing corn is outstanding! He has a nice even spread and very consistent growth.