Airplanes dropping cover crop seed over farm fields in Hunterdon, Warren and Somerset counties are scheduled to begin flying the week of Aug. 29.
Residents in parts of Hunterdon, Somerset and Warren counties may see some low-flying aircraft over neighboring corn and soybean fields in late August.
Airplanes dropping cover crop seed are scheduled to begin flying the week of Aug. 29. The process, which takes three to four days, is weather dependent and will be delayed if rainy or high wind conditions exist, according to a news release.
"With the right conditions for germination, the seeding will produce a hardy cover for the fields this winter," said Natural Resources Conservation Service Agricultural Outreach Specialist Christian Bench, who coordinates the effort with local farmers. "Last year we got spectacular coverage from the seeding, and we are hoping for a repeat of those conditions this year."
The special fixed-wing aircraft designed specifically for this purpose, called "air tractors," have special holding bays and very powerful engines that allow them to fly low and with great precision to apply the cover crop seeds.
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Downstown Aero Crop Services of Vineland, the same company that did the seeding the last two years, will be applying cover crops like tillage radish, ryegrass and clover. No pesticides or fertilizers are being applied during this operation.
This is the third year that aerial seeding is being done in these areas, part of a project being funded by a partnership between the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and the North Jersey Resource Conservation and Development Council.
Cover crops help reduce soil erosion, capture nutrients, build organic matter, and overall help improve the health of the soil, according to the release.
"Initial results after one year of cover crop suggest improvements in both physical and chemical properties in the upper surface layer of the soil on many of the participating farms," State Soil Scientist Richard Shaw said.
Soil scientists are monitoring the soil quality in these fields over several years to assess changes in the soil conditions as a means of measuring benefits from using cover crops.
For more information, contact District Conservationist John Kluthe at the Frenchtown Service Center at 908-782-4614, ext. 3.