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.

Fall harvest has started but farmers also need to think about planting cover crops. USDA-SARE publication (10 Ways Cover Crops Enhance Soil Health) states “Cover crops lead to better soil health and potentially better farm profits.” Here is a 10-point summary from Ohio's Country Journal.

There’s no one-size-fits-all cover crop mix. So, selecting the right cover crop mix may seem a bit overwhelming. Read more in this article from DRG News.

Horseweed is considered one of the most troublesome weeds in the United States and Canada – able to produce devastating losses in both corn and soybean yields when left uncontrolled. Populations of herbicide-resistant horseweed are now found in 18 countries, and many are resistant to multiple herbicide sites of action. Read more in this article from Morning Ag Clips.

Crop scientists at three federal labs have released results of a two-year evaluation of 56 commercially-available cover crop varieties to help farmers pick the best ones for their business. K-State Research and Extension soil management specialist Deann Presley calls the publication – Evaluation of Cool Season Crops in the North Central Region – an “excellent piece of research” conducted by scientists employed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Read more in this article from KRVN Radio.

Harpers Ferry, Iowa, farmer Jon Kruse is utilizing a unique method of planting cover crops this fall - a drone. September 16, Kruse hired Devin Brincks, a Rantizo contractor, to fly his drone over standing soybeans to seed red clover as a cover crop. Read more in this story from the Waukon Standard (Waukon, Iowa).

This year’s harvest looks a little different than last year’s. Dry soil conditions will allow farmers to complete various tasks, such as seeding cover crops. Read more in this article from KIWA Radio.

The Haney soil health test, named for U.S. Department of Agriculture scientist Rick Haney, includes more than a dozen different soil-test values. Those include standard macro- and micro-nutrients for plant consumption, but what’s different about the Haney test is that it also estimates nutrients for microbial consumption, focusing on how much carbon and nitrogen is in the soil. Read more in this article from KMA.

What have you heard in terms of cover crop news? Have you heard that the demand is increasing? Read more in this article from Seed World.

Cover crops can be integral to a vegetable grower’s production cycle for a number of reasons, including soil erosion reduction, weed control, and more. A new research project backed by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) aims to dig a little deeper by quantifying the nitrogen cycling benefits of cover crops across different organic vegetable production systems in Florida. Read more in this article from Growing Produce.