Cover crops improve soil health

A Recipe for Improved Soil Health

September 23, 2020 | Posted in Soil Health

A carefully crafted cover crop composition, manure management, precision agriculture and the right mix of soil additives can be a recipe for improved soil health. Cover crops require a thoughtful approach. Read more in this article from Lancaster Farming.

Research Confirms the Soil Health Benefits of Cover Crops

By Sarah Hill posted on September 2, 2020

Without the soil, no farming would exist. Growers should be fixated with maximizing every inch of soil and improving the various factors that impact soil health.

Soil Conservation Remains Strong

August 17, 2020 | Posted in Soil Health

According to a recent survey, Indiana farmers planted 950,000 acres of cover crops in 2019. Cover crops are known for their environmental benefits and, with the exception of corn and soybeans, are planted on more acres than any other commodity crop in Indiana.

Study: Cover Crops Improve Soil Health

June 12, 2020 | Posted in Soil Health

Source: Las Cruces Sun News

A five-year study by a New Mexico State University researcher found that integrating cover crops, such as legumes and grasses, into existing cropping systems can increase the biological health of soils on hot and dry semiarid lands. Read more in this article from the Las Cruces Sun News.

Crop Residue, Cover Crops Impact Soil Health Parameters

June 10, 2020 | Posted in Soil Health

Source: South Dakota State University Extension

Interest in no-till and cover crops has been on the rise among South Dakota (S.D.) crop producers. In 2019, half of S.D. crop ground was under no-till management and about 900,000 acres were planted to cover crops (U S.D.S-NRCS). Read more in this article from South Dakota State University Extension.

Terminate Cover Crops at the Right Size

June 8, 2020 | Posted in Termination

Source: KMA Radio

Cover crops provide many benefits, ranging from soil health to erosion control, and can also be an important tool in an integrated weed management program. However, termination of cover crops is an important factor to consider to ensure that they don’t hurt your cash crops yield, said Andy Luke, University of Missouri Extension regional field specialist in agronomy. Read more in this article from KMA Radio.

[Podcast] Using Cover Crops to Repair Ruts, Damaged Soils

In this week’s podcast, Pennsylvania cover crop expert Steve Groff explains how growers can use cover crops, no-till and improving soil health to overcome extreme wet conditions at harvest time. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)

April 15, 2020 | Posted in Soil Health

In this week’s podcast, Pennsylvania cover crop expert Steve Groff explains how growers can use cover crops, no-till and improving soil health to overcome extreme wet conditions at harvest time. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)

New Rye Varieties are Promising Small Grain Crops

October 4, 2019 | Posted in Soil Health

Source: Kenosha News

Ben Brockmueller, a South Dakota State University (SDSU) grad student, presented data gathered at the SDSU Southeast Research Farm (SERF) outside of Beresford, SD, that found they averaged roughly 100 bushels per acre on their hybrid rye. Overall, rye seemed to hold up better than most everything tested. Find out more in this article from the Kenosha News.

Follow the Rules When Planting Oats as a Cover Crop

July 24, 2019 | Posted in Seeding Practices

Source: South Dakota State University Extension

As a challenging row crop planting season finally wraps up for 2019 in South Dakota, many producers are looking to plant cover crops on unplanted acres to provide forage, control weeds, reduce erosion and improve soil health, according to a press release from South Dakota State University Extension.

Cover Crops: ROI That Keeps on Giving

By Sarah Hill posted on June 25, 2019 | Posted in Seeding Practices, Soil Health, Economics

No matter why you got into farming, profitability is still the end goal. Every farming practice undergone on your operation must be worth the return on investment. But what if we looked at cover crops in a different way — that covers themselves are the investment?