Holmes County SWCD marks 17th year of aerial cover crop program

As one of our conservation traditions continues into its 17th year, as most things do, there are some changes. A spectacular exhibition of conservation and low-altitude yellow planes is still the same. This year, with Fisher Ag Service, we will fly cover crops onto Holmes County fields a day later, Wednesday, Sept. 3 and Thursday, Sept. 4.

The planes are yellow and blue Air Tractors designed and built to perform aerial applications on crop fields. These pilots have many hours of training and experience and use the latest technology, resulting in accurate applications. This year they will apply over 195,000 pounds of seed on 2,900 acres of growing soybean fields.

The cover crop seeds are oats, barley, or an oats/barley mix. Locally grown, organic seed is purchased from Scott Myers of Woodlyn Acres in Wayne County, who goes above and beyond to fill our seed order.

The planes will load seed and fly out of the Holmes County Airport. The fly on seeding will take one to two days, depending on the weather. This is all part of the partnership between Holmes County SWCD, our local producers, Ohio Department of Agriculture and Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District. The goal of the cover crop program is to control erosion and keep topsoil in place.

Beginning in 2009, the Holmes SWCD Board of Supervisors made coordinating an aerial cover crop application program a priority. Soil erosion remained the top resource concern for Holmes County’s crop-producing topsoil. Much of the county’s farmland is categorized as highly erodible land because of soil type and slope.

Fall-harvested crops such as soybeans and corn silage leave insufficient surface residue to protect the soil from erosion through the fall, winter and early spring. Cover crops are an effective management practice to reduce soil erosion and prevent soil loss, benefiting their farms and the water resources of the entire watershed.

Depending on the weather, establishing a cover during the busy fall harvest season can be a challenge. One of the solutions is for a farmer to participate in the Holmes SWCD-coordinated aerial cover crop program. Aerial application to a standing crop, before harvest, is one way to establish an effective cover crop.

Several years ago the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District recognized that promoting cover crops met their water-quality initiatives and launched a per-acre cost-share program in cooperation with the Ohio Department of Agriculture to the 18 counties within the Muskingum River Watershed. The cost share is based on a participant score sheet that prioritizes acres most likely to erode.

This year in Holmes County, over 6,000 acres were approved for cover crop cost share at $12 per acre. We appreciate the MWCD for its continued support for our shared goals of reducing erosion and sediment, resulting in improved water quality and soil health.

From 2009-24, more than 44,500 acres of cover crops have been aerially seeded through the Holmes County SWCD cover crop program. In addition, 40,250 acres have been seeded using other methods of application. That represents a significant reduction in erosion and soil loss from farm fields in Holmes County. Not only is this a huge benefit for farmers, but also because of reduced sediment in the streams, the entire watershed benefits from improved water quality.

Farm fields are not the only place where cover crops provide benefits. Gardens are an excellent place to see these benefits as well. Besides reducing erosion, weed suppression is another benefit that is especially valuable in the garden setting.

Organic matter is key to having healthy and functional soils, and planting cover crops is one way to increase organic matter, providing additional biomass. Cover crops help with soil structure and improve water infiltration and water-holding capacity. It also provides a habitat for microorganisms to grow and contribute to nutrient cycling.

Oats, barley, wheat and rye are all good cover crop seeds for your garden, depending on your goal for seeding a cover crop.

If you happen to see a yellow plane flying low over farm fields next week, spreading only organic, untreated seed, they are part of the program to reduce soil erosion and sediment runoff in Holmes County. If you are driving, find a safe spot to pull over and watch the show, or if you get a great picture, tag us on Facebook or Instagram @holmesswcd or email holmes.swcd@gmail.com.

As always, call Holmes SWCD for your cover crop questions at 330-674-2811 ext. 3. We are looking forward to more green fields and cleaner streams this winter.

Trevor Berger is the administrator for the Holmes Soil & Water Conservation District.