Cover crops - Articles

Increase Profits by Grazing Covers

March 8, 2021 | Posted in Grazing

Farmers are good at producing a variety of crops, but one thing many farmers have been struggling to produce the last several years is a profit. A recent climb in corn and bean prices should provide some relief for farmers, but even so farmers should be looking for alternatives to increase the profitability of their cropland acres and cover crops and cattle may be the answer. Read more in this article from the Waukon Standard (Waukon, Iowa).

Covers, No-Till Build Resilient Soil

March 5, 2021 | Posted in Soil Health

Source: Aberdeen News

South Dakota soil health farmers aren’t worried. They’ve built resilience into their soils so they can make the best use of the moisture they get. Read more in this article from the Aberdeen News.

[Podcast] Lessons From a Cover Crop Addict

This week’s podcast, sponsored by Yetter Equipment, features Bill Buessing, a grower from Axtell, Kan. Buessing will be a speaker at the upcoming Spring 2021 National Cover Crop Summit.

March 3, 2021 | Posted in Seeding Practices

This week’s podcast, sponsored by Yetter Equipment, features Bill Buessing, a grower from Axtell, Kan. Buessing will be a speaker at the upcoming Spring 2021 National Cover Crop Summit. Buessing shares a sneak peek of his presentation, discussing how he adds various cover crop species to crop rotations as forage for his cattle and sheep to graze while building soil health and fixing valuable nutrients in the soil, which has allowed him to cut back on fertilizer.

Popular Dairy Company Has Two-Thirds of Dairy Producers Growing Covers

March 2, 2021

Consumers are driving the marketplace and requiring more companies to get on board with encouraging environmentally-conscious practices from the growers who provide the raw commodities to make their products. Using cover crops, building soil health and adhering to animal welfare standards are just some examples.

Frigid Temps May Cause Problems with Covers

March 1, 2021 | Posted in Seeding Practices

Source: Iowa Farmer Today

With many cover crops planted into dry soils, particularly in western Iowa, there may not have been ideal germination or growth before winter. With the addition of sub-zero temperatures, fields will need to have enough snow cover for the cover crop to survive. Read more in this article from Iowa Farmer Today.

University of Nebraska Survey Finds More Than Half of Growers Plant Green

February 26, 2021 | Posted in Seeding Practices

Source: University of Nebraska Extension

Of those farmers who used cover crops and answered this question, 53% (83 respondents) indicated they had planted corn into a green cover crop —in most cases, a grassy cover crop. The cover crop was less than 10 inches tall in 63% of green planting situations. Read more in this article from the University of Nebraska.

[Podcast] Harvesting Covers with Combines & Cows

This week’s podcast, sponsored by Yetter Equipment, features Jimmy Emmons, a grower from Leedey, Okla. Emmons will be a speaker at the upcoming Spring 2021 National Cover Crop Summit. Ewoldt shares a sneak peek of his presentation, discussing the economics of using cover crops for grazing, how he uses covers to retain moisture, and the soil health changes he’s seen since implementing no-till and cover crops.

February 25, 2021 | Posted in Seeding Practices

This week’s podcast, sponsored by Yetter Equipment, features Jimmy Emmons, a grower from Leedey, Okla. Emmons will be a speaker at the upcoming Spring 2021 National Cover Crop Summit. Ewoldt shares a sneak peek of his presentation, discussing the economics of using cover crops for grazing, how he uses covers to retain moisture, and the soil health changes he’s seen since implementing no-till and cover crops.

[Video] Reducing Nitrates with Cover Crops

February 24, 2021 | Posted in Soil Health

In this video from the University of Minnesota, researcher Jeff Vetsch talks about how cereal rye reduced nitrate loss by 70%, how a tile drainage system also influences nitrate losses, the challenges of cover crop establishment, and more.

Effects & Economics of Grazing Cover Crops

February 24, 2021 | Posted in Economics

Source: University of Nebraska Extension

In non-irrigated systems, adding cover crops into the rotation can decrease crop yields if precipitation is limited; however, the use of cover crops for forage may offset costs while retaining soil benefits. This on-farm research study was designed with a system’s perspective incorporating crops, cattle and cover crops in a non-irrigated setting while including the economics of the entire system. Read more in this article from the University of Nebraska.

Cover Crops & Manure

February 22, 2021 | Posted in Soil Health

Source: Ohio's Country Journal

What should your cover crop accomplish if you are applying fall manure? First, a live plant that survives the winter and absorbs nitrogen, phosphorus, and reduces soil erosion. Read more in this article from Ohio's Country Journal.