Sowing cover crops in Cornwall

Cover crops are a vital tool in sustainable farming, offering a powerful way to restore and protect soil health between cash crops.

Before we look at the benefits of drone seeding, let’s explore what cover crops actually do for your land. These crops are grown primarily not for harvest, but to cover the soil. Popular types include clover, rye, radish, vetch, and mustard. Farmers plant them in the off-season, between cash crops, to improve soil health and productivity.

Cover crops are valuable because they prevent soil erosion and improve soil structure. They convert nitrogen in the atmosphere into a form that plants can use and because they are fast-growing, they help with weed and pest management.

Before we consider how drone technology plants these crops with low-cost precision, lets consider these benefits in some more detail.

Preventing Soil Erosion
Bare soil is vulnerable. Rainfall, wind, and irrigation can easily wash away the topsoil - the most fertile layer. Cover crops form a protective layer of roots and leaves that stabilise the soil and reduce runoff, keeping precious nutrients where they belong.

Improving Soil Structure
Cover crops help build strong, crumb-like soil that retains moisture and supports root growth. Deep-rooted varieties like radish break up compacted layers, naturally aerating the soil without the need for mechanical tillage.

Fixing Nitrogen
Leguminous cover crops, such as clover or vetch, have a unique ability: they “fix” nitrogen from the atmosphere into a form plants can use. This reduces the need for synthetic fertilisers and enriches the soil for the next crop.

Managing Weeds and Pests
Fast-growing cover crops shade out weeds, making it harder for them to germinate. Some, like mustard, even release natural biofumigants into the soil that suppress pests and diseases.

Why Use Drones to Sow Cover Crops?

Drones can quickly fly across fields and broadcast seed with pinpoint accuracy, even over difficult terrain or irregular field shapes. And unlike tractors, drones don’t touch the ground. That means less disruption to soil structure and no risk of compacting wet or vulnerable land. Drones allow you to sow cover crops before the main crop is harvested -a technique known as undersowing. This ensures early establishment, which is critical for erosion control and nutrient uptake. Reduced fuel, labour, and machinery wear make drones a more affordable solution, especially for farms looking to add cover crops without adding workload. Advanced drones can integrate with GPS and precision agriculture data, allowing for variable rate seeding and real-time adjustments based on field conditions.

The Bottom Line

Cover crops are one of the most effective tools for regenerating and protecting your soil. And when it comes to sowing them efficiently, drones are proving to be a fast, precise, and cost-effective solution. By taking to the skies, farmers can protect the ground beneath their feet - without extra labour, fuel, or disruption.