SAATEN-UNION launches “viterra® DROHNE” a cover crop mix developed specifically for drone seeding

• SAATEN-UNION introduces viterra DROHNE, a cover crop mix developed specifically for drone seeding, enabling sowing up to 14 days before harvest.

• The mixture is optimized for flight characteristics and reliable germination, containing no cruciferous plants and featuring a high legume content.

• It offers efficiency with a recommended seeding rate of 15 kg/ha and suitability for multiple soil classifications, supplied in various bag sizes.

• Drone seeding is expected to grow in importance due to weather variability and operational demands, with viterra DROHNE addressing these future needs.

Sown From the Air – A Time Advantage for the Soil and the Farm

With the new viterra DROHNE cover crop mix, SAATEN-UNION is expanding its portfolio with a solution specifically designed for drone seeding. The mixture is available immediately and gives farmers a significant time advantage in establishing cover crops—even before the combine harvester enters the field. Seeding can take place in standing grain as early as about 14 days before threshing.

Sown from the air

This allows farmers to take advantage of optimal growing conditions, particularly residual soil moisture and longer growth periods in late summer. “At the same time, sowing cover crops with drones can help even out peak workloads,” says Jonas Fahrenkrog from the SAATEN-UNION Advisory Team North.

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Specially tailored for flight characteristics

According to the manufacturer, the mixture was specifically designed for better flight characteristics and reliable germination. It contains no cruciferous plants and freezes reliably—an advantage for farms with tight crop rotations or rapeseed in their rotation.

Composition at a glance (seed proportions):

• 26 percent chia

• 19 percent Phacelia ANGELIA (pelleted)

• 19 percent Michelis clover (pelleted)

• 18 percent ZOLTAN oilseed

• 16 percent Alexandrian clover

Chia, a member of the sage family, is known for its rapid ground coverage, crop rotation neutrality, and deep root penetration in the topsoil. The legume content is 37 percent by seed or 46 percent by weight, thereby meeting the requirements of the Fertilizer Ordinance. The mixture is N-flexible.

Efficiency through early establishment

With a recommended seeding rate of 15 kg/ha and a sowing window from early July to late August, SAATEN-UNION positions the mixture as a highly efficient solution offering maximum benefit with minimal input. Additionally, the mixture is suitable for GLÖZ classifications 5, 6, and 7, as well as FAKT E 1.2. It is supplied in 25-kilogram paper bags or as 500-kilogram big bags.

Outlook: Drone seeding is gaining importance

With increasing weather volatility, tighter time windows, and rising demands for soil protection and vegetation, drone seeding is likely to continue gaining importance in the future. From a technical standpoint, it offers the possibility of establishing cover crops early and in a soil-conserving manner—especially on fields that are only partially accessible immediately after harvest.

With viterra DROHNE, SAATEN-UNION is responding to this development and providing a cover crop mixture specifically tailored to the requirements of aerial application.