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Cover Crop Strategies to Improve Nitrogen Cycling in Corn

August 19, 2019 | Posted in Soil Health
Source: University of Minnesota Extension
Balancing the supply and demand of nitrogen (N) in crop production is challenging. In most cases, application of N fertilizer is needed to ensure that adequate N is available to corn. Nitrogen that is not taken up by plants can be lost from cropping systems as nitrate through leaching or runoff, according to this article from the University of Minnesota Extension.
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Corn

Fungi on Cover Crop Roots Offsets Corn Yield Losses on Fallow Fields

August 16, 2019 | Posted in Soil Health
Source: Douglas County Herald
A cover crop planted this fall on land flooded without a crop this year does more than control erosion and weeds. Fall-seeded cover crops can boost corn yields next year. A beneficial soil-borne fungus in healthy soil needs roots to survive in fallow years. Without the micro-fungus, fallow field syndrome could cut corn yields next season, says Greg Luce, University of Missouri Extension corn specialist, in this article from the Douglas County Herald.
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Cover Crops, Compost & Carbon

August 14, 2019 | Posted in Soil Health
Source: Soil Science Society of America
Recent research published in the Soil Science Society of America Journal compared farming systems that received different amounts and types of organic matter sourced from compost and cover crops. The results reiterated that soil enzyme activity confirms the importance of frequent cover cropping in tillage-intensive organic vegetable production.
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‘Learn, Unlearn & Relearn’: Farmers Benefit From Soil Health Practices

August 14, 2019 | Posted in Soil Health
Source: AgriNews
Brad Zimmerman openly admits it was daunting when he “was handed the checkbook” to the farm after his father passed away. Zimmerman, of Groveland, a fifth-generation farmer and Tazewell County Soil and Water Conservation District director, shared his journey into farming and his experiences using cover crops at the recent Illinois SWCD annual conference in this article from AgriNews.
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[Podcast] Cover Crop Lessons Learned in France

Pennsylvania cover crop expert Steve Groff shares his insights from visiting France and what American growers can learn from what is being done overseas. French growers are dealing with a ban on glyphosate, the impacts of organic agriculture, farming on steep slopes and more.
August 13, 2019 | Posted in Soil Health
Pennsylvania cover crop expert Steve Groff shares his insights from visiting France and what American growers can learn from what is being done overseas. French growers are dealing with a ban on glyphosate, the impacts of organic agriculture, farming on steep slopes and more. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)
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[Video] Using Cover Crops for Diverse Benefits

August 13, 2019 | Posted in Soil Health
John Burk and his father farm 2,500 acres of corn, soybeans, sugar beets and wheat in Bay City, Mich. They pair different cover crops with a variety of cash crops to achieve soil benefits, including red clover, oilseed radish, oats and rye.
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Calculating the Value of Cover Crops

By Julia Gerlach posted on August 5, 2019 | Posted in Soil Health
Cover crops and other regenerative agriculture practices have been getting a massive amount of attention lately. There have been stories about them in major news outlets like Forbes and the New York Times and politicians have been working these concepts into their speeches and climate platforms, spreading the word about the benefits of keeping the soil covered with diverse living plants.
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The National No-Tillage Conference returns January 7-10, 2025! Build and refine your no-till system with dozens of new ideas and connections at the 33rd Annual National No-Tillage Conference in Louisville, Ky. Jan. 7-10, 2025. Experience an energizing 4-day agenda featuring inspiring general session speakers, expert-led No-Till Classrooms and collaborative No-Till Roundtables. Plus, Certified Crop Adviser credits will be offered.

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Ray McCormick’s Conservation Buffer

Ray McCormick’s Conservation Buffer

Earlier this week we paid another visit to this year’s Conservation Ag Operator Fellow, Ray McCormick in Vincennes, Ind., and one thing about Ray is that even when it’s the “off season,” he’s still thinking ahead for next season.
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