Using Drone Technology to Promote Soil Health Through Cover Crop Management

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Commodities

• Agronomic: barley, buckwheat, canola, clovers, grass (misc. annual), grass (misc. perennial), hay, hemp, medics/alfalfa, millet, mustard, oats, peas (field, cowpeas), sorghum sudangrass, vetches, other
• Additional Plants: other

Practices

• Crop Production: conservation tillage, contour farming, cover crops, cropping systems, crop rotation, double cropping, fertilizers, intercropping, no-till, nutrient management, strip tillage, other
• Education and Training: demonstration, extension, farmer to farmer, networking, on-farm/ranch research, technical assistance
• Pest Management: chemical control

In a state where many farms are small and near population centers, traditional methods of establishing cover crops are often difficult both in terms of costs and feasibility of equipment.  In addition, many small and limited resourced farmers have difficulty accessing the equipment needed to implement environmentally sustainable practices such as cover cropping. Another complicating factor is cover crop planting and management do not always coincide with the production of cash crops, making cover crop establishment difficult with traditional planting methods.

Utilizing drones and other technologies may provide a suitable alternative to traditional ground equipment: 1) by providing cost-effective methods of over seeding cover crops, 2) providing an accurate way of monitoring stand establishment and growth of cover crops, 3) providing real-time management of insect pest populations, weeds, and diseases in an efficient, cost-effective, and timely manner. Drone technologies for cover crops management is relatively new in the region and many technical agricultural service providers need training to become familiar with these methods.  Perhaps the greatest potential benefit of using technologies like drones is the potential to provide access to farmers who typically would not have the resources to obtain the equipment needed, or the technical expertise to effectively deploy these technologies, the opportunity to maximize potential sustainability with minimal risk.

This project will utilize field demonstrations at 2 Rutgers Research Farms, SARE cover crop related publication distribution, webinars, and traditional outreach methods to educate extension agents, USDA personnel, other agricultural service providers, university students, and other interested persons about cover crop management using drone technology, and to educate the target audience concerning the equipment needed, the licensing and regulatory concerns while providing the technical and practical skill needed to utilize these technologies effectively. 

Ten agricultural service providers will change their outreach to farmers.

Agricultural service providers will utilize the information from this program to educate and outreach to farmers about drone technology and/or cover crop management systems.

Agricultural service providers will outreach to 30 farmers in New Jersey who will utilize drone technology to manage crops through monitoring, cover crop management, and other cultural practices related to production. These systems will enhance profitability, improve timeliness of applications for small farms through maximizing efficiency for sustainable agriculture practices.  ASP’s will utilize drone technologies and will report the effectiveness of these technologies in delivering services to clientele.