Cover crops - Articles

Ask Your Cover Crop Seed Dealer the Tough Questions

November 19, 2019 | Posted in Seeding Practices, Soil Health

Buying cover crop seed should be a transaction that benefits everyone involved—the grower and the seed dealer. That means asking the right questions to get the product you want and need for your operation. Pennsylvania cover crop expert Steve Groff shares the top 5 questions to ask the next time you buy cover crop seed.

[Podcast] Cover Crops Can Heal the Soil

Soils plagued with compaction, aggregation and/or poor water infiltration don’t have to be that way forever. Pennsylvania cover crop expert Steve Groff explains how cover crops can help to improve the soil through a process including evaluation, soil testing and strategic planning for that soil. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)

November 13, 2019 | Posted in Soil Health

Soils plagued with compaction, aggregation and/or poor water infiltration don’t have to be that way forever. Pennsylvania cover crop expert Steve Groff explains how cover crops can help to improve the soil through a process including evaluation, soil testing and strategic planning for that soil. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)

[Video] Cover Crops After Corn Silage, Fall Cover Crop Growth

November 12, 2019 | Posted in Soil Health

Take a look at how a cover crop grows in the fall, both above and below ground. Plant root depth and soil benefits are shown and discussed. Compare 'no cover' to 'rye cover' crop soil structure.

Keep the Stubble — and the Covers

By Sarah Hill posted on November 11, 2019

Have you ever participated in No Shave November? Maybe you have, unintentionally, or by choice. Now, there’s a new reason to “keep the stubble” during the month of November.

Using Cover Crops Leads to Significant Gains in Water Quality

November 11, 2019 | Posted in Soil Health

The ability of cover crops to stimulate microbes deep in the soil of farm fields leads to significant gains in water quality but does not necessarily increase the capacity of soil to store carbon, according to a recently published study from Iowa State University scientists. The study, published in the academic journal Global Change Biology Bioenergy, analyzed soil samples that had undergone a wide range of long-term treatments.

Weather Delaying Cover Crop Drilling in the Midwest

November 8, 2019 | Posted in Seeding Practices

Source: Rock Island Dispatch-Argus

From rain to snow, the harvest season has seen its fair share of delays across the Midwest. Cover crop applications have been progressing, and with aerial applications wrapping up in many areas, Justin King, a resource conservationist with the Illinois NRCS, said seeding has been a little more challenging this year. Read more in this article from the Rock Island Dispatch-Argus.

Fall Cover Grazing Opportunities Limited

November 7, 2019 | Posted in Grazing

Source: KMA Radio

A wet summer and late start to silage harvest likely cut into cover crop production this year. Patrick Wall, Iowa State University Extension beef specialist based in Knoxville, Iowa, says grazing availability will likely depend on planting dates. Read more in this article from KMA Radio.

Fight Back Against Nematodes with Cover Crops

By Sarah Hill posted on November 6, 2019

Nematodes. Some types of these microscopic roundworms can be beneficial, but some are also parasites, causing serious damage to plant roots or even killing crops. There has been some research published about the ability of cover crops to manage plant-parasitic nematodes, since the roundworms can only move very short distances on their own.

[Podcast] Learning From Cover Crop Failures

Like all aspects of farming, growing cover crops doesn’t always go as intended. Pennsylvania cover crop expert Steve Groff says that how cover croppers react to failure is critical for learning and doing better the next time. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)

November 6, 2019 | Posted in Economics

Like all aspects of farming, growing cover crops doesn’t always go as intended. Pennsylvania cover crop expert Steve Groff says that how cover croppers react to failure is critical for learning and doing better the next time. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)

Learning From Cover Crop Failures

November 5, 2019 | Posted in Seeding Practices, Soil Health

Like all aspects of farming, growing cover crops doesn’t always go as intended. Pennsylvania cover crop expert Steve Groff says that how cover croppers react to failure is critical for learning and doing better the next time. Groff shares ideas on how to deal with several areas where cover cropping can go awry, including weather, herbicides, equipment and management, and shares stories from his own cover crop failures.