Cover crops - Articles

Cover Crops: Endless Combinations

December 18, 2019 | Posted in Seeding Practices

It’s not enough to convince producers to give cover crops a shot — there needs to be a game plan. There are plenty of reasons why.

Cover Crops Part of a Successful Herbicide Resistant Weed Management Strategy

December 18, 2019 | Posted in Seeding Practices, Soil Health

Weeds are the enemy of every farmer, and those growers who plant cover crops are no exception. However, cover crops can be part of the management strategy to overcome weeds that have become resistant to herbicides, says Pennsylvania cover crop expert Steve Groff. In this week’s podcast, Groff explains which weeds are the worst offenders, how weed types change on the farm, and more.

[Podcast] Cover Crops Part Of A Successful Herbicide Resistant Weed Management Strategy

In this week’s podcast, Pennsylvania cover crop expert Steve Groff explains which weeds are the worst offenders, how weed types change on the farm, and more. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)

December 17, 2019 | Posted in Soil Health

In this week’s podcast, Pennsylvania cover crop expert Steve Groff explains which weeds are the worst offenders, how weed types change on the farm, and more. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)

Protect Precious Topsoil with Cover Crops

By Sarah Hill posted on December 17, 2019 | Posted in Soil Health

It’s not often that we think about what happens to the soil in the field. To be honest, that topsoil is probably the component that is most taken for granted in a cropping system of any kind. So, what happens when we lose any of that precious soil to wind or water erosion?

[Video] Start Planning for Spring Cover Crop Termination

December 17, 2019 | Posted in Termination

Now is the time to start planning for how to terminate cover crops in the spring. It all depends on what your purpose is for growing covers. Covers should be terminated 2 weeks prior to planting cash crops such as corn or soybeans or the temperature hits above 50 degrees F.

More Minnesota Farmers Planting Cover Crops

December 17, 2019 | Posted in Soil Health

Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune

When the earthworms started coming back, Tim Little knew he was doing something right. Little, who farms north of Faribault, Minnesota, saw more worms in his fields, gathering piles of dead plants above their holes, after he made a drastic departure from farming tradition.

Iowa Study Finds Cover Crops Don't Impact Carbon Absorption in Soil

December 13, 2019 | Posted in Soil Health

Source: Iowa State Daily

A recent study found cover crops do not have a significant effect on soil’s ability to absorb and store carbon. The scientists conducted the study to discover whether or not cover crops actually improved the soil’s capacity to contain and store away carbon and to research further into the effect of cover crops and perennial plants on the microbial activity of surrounding crops.

[Podcast] Think Outside the Grain Bin with Small Grains as a Cover Crop

Farmers should not limit themselves to only growing corn and soybeans and should consider using small grains as a cover crop, says Pennsylvania cover crop expert Steve Groff.

December 11, 2019 | Posted in Seeding Practices

In this podcast, Groff explains the benefits of adding small grains to crop rotations, such as building soil biology, adding diversity, increasing organic matter and more. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)

Iowa Farmers Need to "Urgently" Adopt Cover Crops

December 11, 2019 | Posted in Soil Health

Source: Des Moines Register

Al Schafbuch said Iowa farmers are moving too slowly in adopting conservation practices that would help improve the quality of the state's rivers, streams and lakes. With only about 7% of Iowa farmland planted in cover crops, "it will take 100 years to get this done," Schafbuch said. "We can't wait 100 years."

Shifting Ideas on Cover Crops in Western Canada

December 11, 2019 | Posted in Economics

Source: Country Guide

When Yvonne Lawley wrote her research proposal for a study of cover crops, she was specific about the wording of the title: Testing the cover crop hypothesis across Prairie Canada. It’s the word “hypothesis” that grabs you. What could be theoretical about cover crops? Some farmers have been using them for decades to help build soil, reduce erosion, graze animals and more. The practice is common in Ontario and Quebec, as well as in the Northern Great Plains region of the U.S. What’s not to know?