Ive personally seen the difference between covering and not covering seeds in my food plots. The uncovered seeds dont grow as good as the covered seeds. The longer the seeds lay without rain the worse it is. If you disc the soil so there are cracks and a soft bed then covering will be done by a heavy rain.

Ive yet to see any farmers up here that dont prep ground before planting no matter what seed they are sowing. Since I have a choice which way to plant I choose to prep my ground first. h.h.