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Cover Crops Provide Habitat for Predator Insects That May Help Control Pests

October 29, 2021 | Posted in Soil Health
Source: University of Georgia
Both traditional and organic producers are increasing their use of cover crops for a variety of reasons — to control erosion, choke out weeds, improve soil health and enhance water availability. Now research by University of Georgia scientists is examining which cover crops may also provide important habitat for predatory insects that could help control disease- and damage-causing pests in cotton.
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2021 Fall National Cover Crop Summit

Growers Share Their Experiences with Cover Crops & Soil Health

Three growers share the soil health changes that they can attribute to their use of cover crops at the 2021 Fall National Cover Crop Summit.
October 29, 2021 | Posted in Soil Health
Cover crops can make major changes to the soil, including improving soil biology, increasing water infiltration, enhancing soil aggregation, and more. A special grower panel will be held during the 2021 Fall National Cover Crop Summit to discuss what covers can do when it comes to soil health.
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2021 Fall National Cover Crop Summit

Seeding Fall Cover Crops While Managing Late Emerging Weeds

A University of Minnesota professor discusses how cover crops can be used as a weed management tool at the 2021 Fall National Cover Crop Summit
October 28, 2021
One of the benefits cover crops can offer growers is to choke out weeds, including the dreaded waterhemp. Gregg Johnson, an Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota, will discuss which how cover crops can be used as a weed management tool during the 2021 Fall National Cover Crop Summit.
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How Cover Crops Affect Soil Water, Nitrogen, Oxygen Dynamics

October 27, 2021 | Posted in Soil Health
Source: University of Illinois Extension
Cover crops are widely seen as one of the most promising conservation practices, improving soil health while also removing carbon from the atmosphere. But while the number of Midwestern farmers planting cover crops has increased markedly in recent years, 2017 USDA Census data show only about 5% have adopted the conservation practice. Read more in this article from the University of Illinois.
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2021 Fall National Cover Crop Summit

Managing Cover Crop Pests

Auburn University entomologist Scott Graham discusses which pests are problematic for cover crops at the 2021 Fall National Cover Crop Summit
October 27, 2021
Pests can literally eat up your profits when it comes to cover crops, which is why growers should find ways to mitigate pest pressure. Entomologist Scott Graham from Auburn University will discuss which pests growers should watch for in different types of cover crops and cash crops during the 2021 Fall National Cover Crop Summit.
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2021 Fall National Cover Crop Summit

Profitably Grazing Cattle on Cover Crops

A Kansas cattle rancher and a specialist from South Dakota State University share insights on how to leverage cover crops as cattle feed at the 2021 Fall National Cover Crop Summit
October 26, 2021 | Posted in Grazing
Transitioning from harvesting crops using a combine to only using cattle is not an easy task, says CJ Blew, a cattle rancher from Castleton, Kan. His family’s 24,000-acre cow-calf operation has improved cattle health and performance since switching 3,000 acres of irrigated dryland cropland to paddocks for grazing cover crops.
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On the Fence About Seeding Covers

October 25, 2021 | Posted in Soil Health
Source: University of Minnesota Extension
Earlier this season, a lack of soil moisture across much of the state raised concerns about the potential for successful cover crop establishment this fall. Most areas still need more moisture to recharge the soil profile but recent rains have improved the moisture status overall. This has also improved the likelihood for successful establishment of a cereal rye cover crop this fall. Read more in this article from University of Minnesota Extension.
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Improving Photosynthesis

October 18, 2021 | Posted in Soil Health
Source: Ohio's Country Journal
Farmers do not often think about how their management practices can influence the rate of photosynthesis. Photosynthesis has always been assumed to be constant, but it is not. Read more in this article from Ohio's Country Journal.
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Why Add Carbon to the Soil?

October 15, 2021 | Posted in Soil Health
Source: Culpeper Star-Exponent
Carbon sequestration is coming up often in the farm press as we learn about another stream of farm income rising from our land-management practices. Why is adding carbon to the soil worth money to farmers, you might ask? Read more in this article from the Culpeper Star-Exponent (Culpeper, Virginia).
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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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Cover Cropping in Integrated Farming Systems

Cover Cropping in Integrated Farming Systems

Last week we had boots on the ground at the Big Soil Health Event in Cedar Falls, Iowa where agronomist David Kleinschmidt emphasized the importance of considering Carbon to Nitrogen ratios of cover crops and residues.

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