Cover Crop Seeding with a Drone Between Corn Rows

At ATK Farm in Lyubar, Zhytomyr region, the task was to improve soil condition and retain moisture during the summer period without damaging the main crop — corn, which had already been planted and was in an active growth stage.

The main idea was to seed cover crops without mechanical soil disturbance, directly into the growing corn, in order to:

stimulate the development of soil biota, including worms, insects, and microorganisms;

reduce moisture evaporation from the soil surface;

improve soil structure without additional machinery passes.

Seed a cover crop mixture in July without damaging the corn crop.

Cover a large area — 2,500 hectares.

Ensure even seed distribution.

Launch the process within a short timeframe during the optimal agronomic window.

Three agri-drone crews were involved in the work, which made it possible to operate in parallel across a large area and stay within the planned timeframe.

Seeding was carried out with agri-drones, which made it possible to:

work without contact with the soil;

avoid breaking or trampling the corn;

perform seeding during a period when the use of ground machinery was already undesirable or impossible.

A cover crop mixture was seeded, which included:

clover;

barley;

peas;

other components of the mixture, some of which were clarified directly before the start of the work.

Location: Lyubar, Zhytomyr region

Farm: ATK

Main crop: corn

Area: 2,500 hectares

Number of crews: 3

Type of work: cover crop seeding into a growing crop

Seeding rate: 8 kg/ha

Before the main work began, most of the time was spent preparing and calibrating the drones for the specific seed mixture. Because the components differed in fraction size and weight, the seeding system had to be precisely adjusted to ensure a stable rate and even distribution.

The team spent approximately one full working day on these settings, after which the process was successfully launched.

All 2,500 hectares were successfully seeded within the planned timeframe.

Seeding was carried out without damaging the corn.

The cover crops were evenly distributed across the field.

The agronomic goals were achieved: improved conditions for soil biota, reduced moisture evaporation, and increased long-term soil fertility.

Despite the complex preparation process, all work was completed without delays or force majeure.

This case shows that agri-drones are an effective tool for implementing modern soil-conservation technologies, even across large areas and in growing crops.

Seeding cover crops in July into corn allows farmers to work with a long-term perspective: retaining moisture, supporting soil biological activity, and improving farming efficiency without unnecessary mechanical intervention.