Our soil resources are quite different from other parts of the country. The topsoil in our fields is not deep compared to places like the Midwest, therefore farmers strive to do everything they can to keep this valuable resource on their fields. One method to achieve this is to plant cover crops, which help stabilize the top soil layer. Read more in this article from The Citizen (Auburn, NY).

In non-irrigated systems, adding cover crops into the rotation can decrease crop yields if precipitation is limited; however, the use of cover crops for forage may offset costs while retaining soil benefits. This on-farm research study was designed with a system’s perspective incorporating crops, cattle and cover crops in a non-irrigated setting while including the economics of the entire system. Read more in this article from the University of Nebraska.

The new location in Iola, Kansas, also matched a good opportunity to fill the growing demand for cover crop mixes in the area, one that has grown tremendously in the last several years. Read more in this article from Farm Talk.

There are a variety of agricultural research trials in Ontario, but one that stands out from the rest is the long-term cover crop trial set up by Dr. Laura Van Eerd in Ridgetown, Ontario. This trial was established in 2007 and has had consistent cover crop treatments within a processing vegetable-grain crop rotation on the same plot since then.

Pennycress, also called “stinkweed” for the odor it gives off when it’s crushed, contains a lot of oil in its seeds, and that oil can be turned into fuel for jets or diesel trucks and cars. Two researchers at The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) just began a study to create the most resilient, high-yielding varieties of pennycress for farmers to grow. Read more in this article from The Ohio State University.

Every year we learn more about the soil saving and water quality protecting benefits of cover crops. A cover crop protects the soil surface from erosion. Read more in this article from the Globe Gazette (Mason City, IA).

Named for its coin-shaped, oil-rich seedpods, pennycress has colonized much of the globe as a common weed. But those oily seeds, unsuitable for human consumption, are an ideal crop for biodiesel and jet fuels. Read more in this article from the Washington State University Insider.

Producers, researchers and cover crop experts from GO SEED share the cover crop gifts they are most thankful for.

Newly planted winter camelina seedlings sprout in little green rows at the University of Minnesota field plots on the St. Paul campus. The winter annual plant is one of 15 breeds University researchers are cultivating to help farmers keep nutrients in their soil, reduce erosion and create a commercially viable product for farmers to sell. Read more in this article from The Minnesota Daily.

Cover crop utilization on cropland gained momentum during the period of high commodity prices, but adoption has slowed as producers are identifying opportunities to reduce production costs. Cover crops certainly have their place and the expense of planting, which includes the time required and capital investment, should be valued against soil loss and the overall cost of erosion in terms of decreased productivity. Read more in this article from the Messenger-Inquirer (Owensboro, KY).