New Grass Drill Available at South Platte NRD

The South Platte Natural Resources District (SPNRD) recently added a new No-Till Grass Drill to its lineup of equipment available for rent! The SPNRD has made equipment for conservation management available to District Residents for several different types of habitat improvement for years.

Each piece of equipment assists District Residents to improve their own little piece of heaven out here in the Nebraska Panhandle. Some improvements are decisions made solely by the landowner/tenant and others are part of programs through the SPNRD, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), or Pheasants Forever (PF).

These drills are designed to seed native grasses and legumes. Drill options include models that can be used with both a tractor (with or without hydraulics) and one drill can be pulled behind a pickup if a tractor is not available (SPNRD staff can assist you on requirements to use this equipment).

Not only are these drills available to producers in the three counties within the SPNRD, but also producers in Banner and Morrill Counties, where rental grass drills are not available.

Grass Drills have been used for years in this area for seeding different types of grasses vital to rangeland health. The Grass Drills offered through the SPNRD are able to accommodate conventional grain seed as well as the light, fluffy grass seeds, small legume seeds and forb seeds. The benefits of this type of no-till grass drill address critical area needs to include the ability to plant the lighter, smaller and fluffier seeds used in many conservation mixes.

Planting with a no-till drill allows producers to plant directly into a site without an extensive tillage operation. This type of equipment also allows inter-seeding legumes, forbes, grains and grasses without destroying existing vegetation.

A substantial grant from the Nebraska Environmental Trust (NET) covered $22,500 towards the new drill, Pheasants Forever generously donated $5,000 and the SPNRD covered the remaining $6,306.11. The total cost of the drill came to $33,806.11.

In addition to Grass Drills, the SPNRD also has Tree Planting and Rototilling equipment available. Some types of conservation practices have cost-share programs available through the SPNRD, NRCS and Pheasants Forever offices. Eligible cost-share practices may include: terraces, tree planting, erosion control dams, buffer strips and livestock pipelines. Additional practices that can benefit from the use of these No-Till Grass Drills include CRP establishment, CRP enhancement, planting pollinator habitat and planting of wildlife habitat/cover.

Current equipment for rent through the SPNRD includes: 1 – 7 foot Horizon Seeds Grass Drill ($10 / Acre or $50 per day, whichever is greater); 2 – 10 foot Great Plains No-Till Grass Drills ($16 / Acre or $50 per day, whichever is greater); and 2 Tree Planters ($80 per day). Pheasants Forever Members pay ½ costs, if they can prove current membership.

For questions or more information please contact the South Platte NRD at 308-254-2377 or visit them online at http://www.spnrd.org. SPNRD Board of Director Meetings are held every second Tuesday of the month.