Wisconsin joined Illinois, Indiana and Iowa this month in offering a crop insurance discount for growers who plant cover crops. Meanwhile, restructuring to Illinois' conservation programs did not pass in Springfield.

Drought has been prevalent in the northern and western portions of the Corn Belt in recent growing seasons, while southern parts of the Midwest have seen flooding. Cover crops impact both wet and dry soils in the spring.

At very low temperatures (<40F), germination of alfalfa seed is much slower when compared to 40 to 50 F. This University of Minnesota study found that at 32 F, it took 15 days to reach 50% germination. At 50 F, 50% of seeds germinated in just 3 days. Individual seedlings will emerge slowly at low temperatures, meaning a long, staggered period of emergence, while at higher temperatures seedlings will emerge more uniformly.

University of Nebraska educators offer a bevy of tips on how to evaluate alfalfa stands, manage winter injury and navigate through drought conditions. 

Nitrate leaching is a major concern in coarse-textured agricultural soils because it can cause economic losses for farmers and contaminate groundwater. While some nitrate leaching may be inevitable when growing corn on sandy soils, there are several management strategies that can be implemented to limit nitrate loss. Here are some key takeaways from a recent five-year study looking at three major factors impacting nitrate leaching: drainage, nitrogen availability, and cropping system.