Soil erosion - Articles

Cover Crops & No-Till Help Produce Healthy Plants, Cows & People

By Brad Clark posted on May 7, 2024 | Posted in Soil Health

Our motive is simple, and it explains everything we seek to achieve on our healthy farm: You can’t go wrong by doing right.

This Week

Cover Crop Strategies' Best of the Web: Oct. 27, 2023

October 27, 2023

Cover Crop Strategies editors encounter a variety of articles, social media posts, podcasts and videos that offer a unique look at various aspects of our great agricultural industry. Here is our favorite content from the past week.

This Week

Cover Crop Strategies' Best of the Web: July 1, 2022

July 1, 2022

Cover Crop Strategies editors encounter a variety of articles, social media posts, podcasts and videos that offer a unique look at various aspects of our great agricultural industry. Here is our favorite content from the past week. The Best of the Web This Week series is brought to you by Salford Group.

Managing Weeds with Cover Crops After Corn Silage

June 27, 2022 | Posted in Soil Health, Termination

Source: South Dakota State University Extension

Herbicides of least concern, (if applied on cash crop according to label) for residual issues on cover crops planted after corn silage would include chemicals like glyphosate, glufosinate, paraquat, 2,4D, dicamba, clopyralid, bromoxynil, bentazon, and diflufenzopyr. Read more in this story from South Dakota State University Extension.

On-farm Research Indicates Importance of Cover Crops for Soil Health

January 24, 2022 | Posted in Soil Health

Source: University of Nebraska Extension

Extending the presence of living vegetative cover to more months of the year through the use of cover crops has several environmental benefits — for example, prevention of soil erosion and nutrient leaching, improvement of soil microbial habitat and weed/pest suppression. But how much does including cover crops on farms improve physical, chemical and biological indicators of soil health? Read more in this article from University of Nebraska Extension.

Using Covers in Vineyards Reduces Erosion, Increases Soil Nutrients

December 13, 2021 | Posted in Soil Health

Source: Napa Valley Register

When the winter rains come to Napa Valley, soil erosion is at the top of many viticulturists’ minds. Terracing and other structural changes to the terroir are largely a mitigation method of the past, with many vineyards planting the grassy patches between their rows with mustards, legumes, and grasses as cover crops. Read more in this article from the Napa Valley Register.

[Video] Farmers Share Why They Grow Covers

July 7, 2021 | Posted in Soil Health

In this video from Iowa Learning Farms, hear from growers about why they have chosen to use cover crops. Covers can be used in conjunction with no-till to combat soil erosion, reverse soil degradation, and more.

Solution for Soil Erosion

June 25, 2021 | Posted in Soil Health

Source: Lancaster Farming

The images coming out of the Upper Midwest and High Plains region of the U.S. this spring are reminiscent of the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. Relentless wind coupled with dry conditions have led to severe soil erosion, and the situation was made worse in areas lacking cover crops. Read more in this article from Lancaster Farming.

Soil Health & Earthworms

April 28, 2021 | Posted in Soil Health

Source: Capital Journal (Pierre, SD)

According to a 2001 paper (Land degradation: an overview), it is estimated that the total annual cost of erosion from agriculture in the USA is about $44 billion per year, i.e. about $100 per acre of cropland and pasture. On a global scale, the annual loss of 75 billion tons of soil costs the world about $400 billion per year, or approximately $70 per person per year (Eswaran, H., et. al. 2001). Read more in this article from the Capital Journal (Pierre, SD).

Harvest or Terminate Covers?

April 23, 2021 | Posted in Termination

Source: Grand Island Independent

Cover crops have been a great tool for many producers across Nebraska as they can be used for managing soil erosion, weeds, moisture accumulation, microbial activity and forage crops for livestock producers. Every producer has different goals while planting their cover crop, the same message rings true for termination. Read more in this article from the Grand Island Independent.