The USDA is looking to create a set of pilot projects that provides incentives to implement climate smart conservation practices on working lands and to quantify and monitor the carbon and greenhouse gases associated with those practices. The pilot projects could even expand or develop new and additional markets.
It is no surprise that effective management is a key to running a successful farming operation. The more enterprises the farm has, the more important the management becomes. Read more in this article from Ohio's Country Journal.
Is it worth planting a cover crop to use for forage in a drought? Any forage produced will be that much more valuable this year, but what is the likelihood anything will grow if you put seed in the ground? Read more in this article from the University of Minnesota.
Landowners could receive payments of $25 per acre on up to 1,000 acres if cover crops are established in their fields for the purposes of soil health, according to a preliminary Senate draft of the Build Back Better bill and corresponding budget. Non-operating landowners could receive payments of $5 per acre for encouraging tenants to seed covers on rented fields.
There is a lot of talk about climate change. Many people point to agriculture as one of the potential sources to the answer of mitigating it. Read more in this article from Seed World.
Ruminant animals like cattle contribute to the maintenance of healthy soils and grasslands, and proper grazing management can reduce the industry’s carbon emissions and overall footprint, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientist. Read more in this article from AgriLife Today.
The fallow period between soybean harvest and corn planting in a crop rotation is highly vulnerable to sediment and nutrient losses, but soybean harvest is often so late that there isn’t enough time to reliably establish a cover crop. If a cover crop is established, options are typically limited to cereal rye or winter wheat. For many, the financial risk of a failed cover crop stand outweighs the potential benefits. Read more in this article from Lancaster Farming.
Several communities in Nebraska are facing growing concerns of increasing groundwater nitrate concentration in their municipal wells. Growing cover crops during the winter fallow period is one of the best management practices for reducing nitrate leaching and improving soil resilience. Read more in this article from the University of Nebraska.
Each grower has their own reasons for growing a cover crop – whether it’s to improve organic matter, hold onto nutrients from manure, provide a nitrogen credit or protect against erosion. Read more in this article from the St. Thomas Times-Journal (Toronto, Ontario).
Now is the time to think about fitting a cover crop into your rotation. There are many different advantages to using cover crops including reducing pest pressures, keeping the soil protected, recycling nutrients, adding organic matter, additional forage opportunities, and more. Read more in this article from the Capital Journal (Pierre, SD).
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.
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.