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Weed Management Before Cover Crops

July 7, 2020 | Posted in Economics
Source: AgWeek
Some of the prevented planting fields are just being looked at again as everyone gets caught up on spraying the crop fields and is now looping back to start managing their PP. In going back to those PP fields, the weeds have likely gotten big and herbicide options are getting limited. Read more in this article from AgWeek.
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It Starts with the Soil

July 6, 2020 | Posted in Soil Health
Source: Omaha World-Herald
All healthy crops have to start somewhere. To be more specific — the ground. But hearty, high-yielding crops can’t just sprout in any patch of dirt. Read more in this article from the Omaha World-Herald.
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Cover Crops Replace Tillage

July 6, 2020 | Posted in Seeding Practices
Source: Lincoln Journal Star
Instead of cultivating corn, this year, Andy Lacey was busy the first day of June interseeding his 60-inch rows with a cover crop mix. “The cover crop is essential to protecting the soil from getting too hot and preventing the weeds from germinating,” he said. Read more in this article from the Lincoln Journal Star.
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Soil Degradation Becoming a Concern

July 3, 2020 | Posted in Soil Health
Soil health, as defined by a team of researchers in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at New Mexico State University, is “the state of the soil being in sound physical, chemical, and biological condition, having the capability to sustain the growth and development of land plants.” Rajan Ghimire, a cropping systems agronomist at the Agricultural Science Center in Clovis, put it more simply: “Healthy soil leads to healthy human beings.”
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Dig Into Soil Organic Matter

July 3, 2020 | Posted in Soil Health
Source: Lincoln Journal Star
Steven Hall is dedicated to exploring how farmers can get the most out of their soil. Hall, an assistant professor with the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology at Iowa State University, runs a biogeochemistry lab where students look at the different factors that can effect soil health. Read more in this article from the Lincoln Journal Star.
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Grazing Livestock on Cover Crops: A Practice with Room to Grow

The majority of growers grazed livestock on less than 300 cover crop acres and most do not rent out their acreage for grazing in spite of the income potential.
By Sarah Hill posted on July 2, 2020 | Posted in Grazing
For growers who use cover crops, grazing is the next level of utilization if the proper opportunity presents itself. If a grower owns their own livestock, cover crops are an additional feed source, especially during winter months when hay and other forages are more expensive.
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Cover Crop Termination Affects Insect Populations

July 1, 2020 | Posted in Termination
Source: KMA Radio
It was a cold, grey day to be counting bugs. Still, that's what they were doing moving across a field of cereal rye from one trap to the next. It's all part of the work Illinois Extension Entomologist Nick Seiter is doing with cover crops. Read more in this article from KMA Land.
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Cover Crops & Carbon:Nitrogen Ratios

July 1, 2020 | Posted in Soil Health
Source: Lancaster Farming
These numbers can have a direct affect on our nitrogen use and can help us be better managers in the context of overall soil health. There’s more to it than just understanding the C:N of a particular cash crop or cover crop residue. That’s where microbes come in to play. Read more in this article from Lancaster Farming.
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Potassium Levels in Soil Decreasing

June 29, 2020 | Posted in Soil Health
Source: Rock Island Dispatch-Argus
Nationwide, there has been a major trend in soil test results — a drop in potassium. Andy Wycislo, an agronomist who works with Waypoint Analytical, said there is no identified root cause for why potassium levels are dropping over the last few years, and while some other nutrients have seen decreases over the past couple of years, this one stands out. Read more in this article from the Rock Island Argus Dispatch.
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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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