No-till - Articles

[Podcast] Using Cover Crops to Repair Ruts, Damaged Soils

In this week’s podcast, Pennsylvania cover crop expert Steve Groff explains how growers can use cover crops, no-till and improving soil health to overcome extreme wet conditions at harvest time. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)

April 15, 2020 | Posted in Soil Health

In this week’s podcast, Pennsylvania cover crop expert Steve Groff explains how growers can use cover crops, no-till and improving soil health to overcome extreme wet conditions at harvest time. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)

Cover Crops Help Soil Be Ready for Spring Planting

By Sarah Hill posted on April 14, 2020

In many parts of the Midwest, spring is almost here. Some growers may be dealing with spring snowstorms, which will further push back planting season, but planting is on many farmers’ minds.

Iowa Learning Farms Eval Says Soil Erosion Top Reason for Using Covers

April 8, 2020 | Posted in Seeding Practices

Source: Bloomfield Democrat (Bloomfield, IA)

Iowa Learning Farms recently released its 2019 Evaluation Report detailing the impact of multiple education and outreach initiatives throughout the year. Key statistics from the report include an up year in cover crop plantings – estimated to eclipse 1 million acres in Iowa. Read more in this article from the Bloomfield Democrat (Bloomfield, IA).

Iowa Farmers Use Covers, Crop Rotations to Build Soil Health

March 18, 2020 | Posted in Soil Health

Source: Aberdeen News

Thirty-four years ago, a challenging harvest led Brian Hora, 57, to no-till farming. “It was an extremely wet fall. Heavy snow fell before we could get everything out. So, we had to finish up harvest in the spring,” explains the sixth-generation Iowa farmer. Read more in this article from the Aberdeen News.

Cover Crops, Other Soil Health Practices Can Help You Be Ready for Change

By Sarah Hill posted on March 17, 2020

Would you like to be less stressed? Have more fun? No, the answer is not buying a cheap plane ticket to a tropical destination. But a recent survey of South Dakota farmers and ranchers found that growers who use practices that improve soil health experienced less stress, were more satisfied with farming and are more optimistic about the future.

Switching to No-Till, Cover Crops Increases ROI

February 12, 2020 | Posted in Economics

Source: AgriNews

Switching from a traditional tillage system to a no-till and cover crop program can result in major benefits, including increased return on investment. Evaluate the optimal crop plan for your farming system and look at the return on investment for the overall crop rotation of three or four crops. Find out more in this article from AgriNews.

Vegetable Growers Also Need to Focus on Soil Health

February 10, 2020 | Posted in Soil Health

Source: Growing Produce

The importance of soil health and its role in the future of sustainable agriculture has been a topic of much discussion. While specialty crop growers understand the importance of healthy soils, much of the research on the topic has been dedicated to row crops like corn, soybeans, wheat, and cotton. But that’s changing, and more emphasis is being placed on soil health in fruit and vegetable production. Read more in this article from Growing Produce.

[Podcast] Less Fertilizer Needed for Vegetables When Grown with Covers

Cover crops are particularly impressive at controlling weeds in a vegetable production system, says Pennsylvania cover crop expert Steve Groff. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)

January 22, 2020 | Posted in Seeding Practices

Cover crops are particularly impressive at controlling weeds in a vegetable production system, says Pennsylvania cover crop expert Steve Groff. In this podcast, Groff explains how covers supply nitrogen in the soil for vegetable plants, why cover crops should not be used with early-producing vegetables, how pumpkins are cleaner when grown with covers, and more. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)

Rediscovering Cover Crops

January 16, 2020 | Posted in Soil Health

Source: USDA

Farmers throughout history have taken advantage of off-season plant growth to enhance their next year’s crops. These plants, called cover crops, are beneficial in many ways, including protection against weed infestation and soil erosion, as well as feed for farm animals.

Do Cover Crops Really Pay Off?

January 16, 2020 | Posted in Economics

Source: Kenosha News

After a year of difficult weather and low commodity prices, farmers everywhere are cutting back on costs. At the Conservation Tillage Conference (CTC) in December, many growers looked at the economics of reduced tillage/no-till and cover crops, and whether or not those management practices really pay off.