Planter - Articles

Using Soil Health Tests

October 16, 2019 | Posted in Seeding Practices, Soil Health

Pennsylvania cover crop expert Steve Groff says that in the past 5-10 years, soil health testing has grown in popularity, but they aren’t a silver bullet for detecting all soil health problems. In this podcast, learn about the different types of soil tests available, what they can measure and why each one is important.

Maximizing Legume Cover Crops for Less Nitrogen Use

October 8, 2019 | Posted in Seeding Practices, Soil Health

Managing legumes as a cover crop requires smart decision making, says Pennsylvania cover crop expert Steve Groff. From choosing the best nitrogen-producing species and planting legumes as early as possible to using winter hardy selections and planting into green legumes, Groff shares best practices for getting the most out your covers while using less nitrogen.

11 Keys for Successfully Planting Green

October 2, 2019 | Posted in Seeding Practices, Soil Health

There are other options for growers besides letting your best soil blow away in the wind, says Pennsylvania cover crop expert Steve Groff. Planting into a standing cover crop can be handled in a variety of ways. Groff explains why your planter should be equipped with a roller crimper, how to evaluate your comfort or experience level with planting green, using the proper seeding rate and more.

Using Manure to Fertilize Cover Crops

September 24, 2019 | Posted in Seeding Practices, Soil Health

Timing, cover crop seeding rates and application methods are the keys to maximizing manure management for cover crops, according to Pennsylvania cover crop expert Steve Groff. Groff recommends that growers plant covers before applying manure and try to do both as early in the season as possible to get the most days with warm enough weather to help the cover crop stand get established. Applying manure to covers can be an efficient way to restore nitrogen in the soil.

Tips for Using Cover Crops in Heavy Clay Soils

September 17, 2019 | Posted in Seeding Practices, Soil Health

Pennsylvania cover crop expert Steve Groff shares key concepts for working with heavy clay soils, discusses why diversity of species is critical for this type of soil, and how cover crops and can be used in heavy clay soils for water management. Because heavy clay soils tend to hold moisture, they can produce outstanding yields, so understanding how to manage some of the biggest challenges this soil type can offer is of the utmost importance.

Making Cover Crops Work in Semi-Arid Environments

September 10, 2019 | Posted in Seeding Practices, Soil Health

Although most growers this year have been dealing with too much rain, there are areas and years when getting a cover crop established and reaping the benefit without draining soil moisture is a challenge. Pennsylvania cover crop expert Steve Groff says that growers using covers in a low-rainfall area should concentrate on feeding soil biology, keeping the soil cool and improve water management. Executing these ideas will look different for each farmer, but all farmers can aim for diversity of species, keeping something growing in fields year-round and shading fields. Find out more in this week’s podcast. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)

Understanding Carbon-to-Nitrogen Ratios & Cover Crops

September 4, 2019 | Posted in Seeding Practices, Soil Health

The carbon-to-nitrogen ratio is a critical number to know when planning for both cover crops and cash crops, according to Pennsylvania cover crop expert Steve Groff. The C:N ratio affects decomposition rates for crop residues and impacts nitrogen cycling as well. Understanding the C:N ratio helps growers be better managers in the context of overall soil health and fertilizer use. Groff shares why this often-overlooked aspect is critical to making good decisions when growing covers.

Cover Crop Lessons Learned in Hungary

August 20, 2019 | Posted in Seeding Practices, Soil Health

Hungary is the destination for this week’s podcast, as Pennsylvania cover crop expert Steve Groff shares his observations from visiting the country for their first-ever soil health conference. Hungarian growers are just becoming more interested in cover crops and no-till, despite the fact that they plow up to 90% of their land. Groff explains why it’s important to review the basics of cover cropping, why radishes are the best choice for a beginning cover crop, what lupins are, and much more.

Drill & Planter Calibration for Planting Cover Crops

July 24, 2019 | Posted in Seeding Practices, Soil Health

Planting is always a challenging process, but planting cover crops can take that challenge to the next level with different seed shapes, sizes and densities. Each type of cover crop requires that the planter be calibrated differently, and multi-species mixes make it even more puzzling to find the best calibration. Whether you use a drill or a planter can also impact your approach. Steve Groff, Pennsylvania cover crop expert, shares some different methods for calibrating drills and planters to prepare for planting cover crops.

Managing Herbicides When Planting Cover Crops

July 8, 2019 | Posted in Seeding Practices, Soil Health

When planting cover crops, there are three factors to keep in mind in the context of using herbicides to control weeds: the herbicide half-life, the amount of rainfall received and the amount of organic matter.