Putting cover crop seed down at harvest may be easier than you think.

The Harvest Seeder from Red Barn Solutions uses Montag’s 2108 air seeder to evenly seed cover crops at harvest. With one pass, farmers can provide seed-to-soil contact, along with chaff mulching that improves seed germination. 

After testing the Harvest Seeder last fall at Missouri Soybeans Bay Farm Research Facility, company officials are offering it to Missouri farmers for the upcoming fall seeding season.

During a cover crops field day, Mark Bloom, territory manager for Montag, announced that the company — along with product developer Red Barn Solutions — is extending the opportunity for soybean growers to test out a Harvest Seeder on their own farm this fall.

“It is available at no cost, no obligation,” he said. “You can run over as many acres as you wish this coming fall. We want you to decide what is the best method of cover crops seeding on [the] farm and most economical.”
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The hoses and shield mount on the backside of the soybean header. Seed will drop out of the tubes, hit the shield and land in the crop residue.

Bloom says farmers should look at the coverage and the cost of cover crop seeding. His breakdown finds:

  • Custom application — from $14 to $19 per acre
  • Farmer-owned box drill — (fuel, labor and maintenance) $10 per acre
  • Montag Harvest Seeder — 47 cents per acre

“There’s your opportunity,” Bloom adds.

Company representatives will deliver and install the system, and even remove it when seeding is complete.

One caveat: Farmers must have a John Deere S combine.

If you are interested in this free trial, contact Bloom, Montag territory manager, at mbloom@montagmfg.com or 712-298-0397, or Mark Trapolino, Red Barn Solutions, at 712-790-0029. The number of growers in Missouri is limited.

Related Content:

Montag’s Cover Crop+ — Designed for Smaller Seeds,

Interseeding Cover Crops into Corn and Soybean,

What Does the Future of Cover Crop Seeding Look Like?