If you haven’t gotten fall covers established yet, now is the time to be seeding them, so many growers are thinking about what species to include in cover crop mixes. Self-seeding black medic might be a good choice.
This leguminous plant is officially listed as a noxious weed in Canada, but that classification is outdated, according to information from University of Wisconsin Extension. Black medic is native to the Mediterranean and the George variety has been studied in long-term plots in western Canada since the early 2000s. Black medic appears to work best in low-input systems.
In dry conditions, black medic growth is limited, while still helping establish and maintain soil aggregate stability. Data collected from a 2017 study conducted by Agriculture Canada agronomist Bill May found that medic reduced the mass of small aggregates and increased the mass of large aggregates.
Self-regenerating covers like black medic might be a way to nudge growers into using cover crops, which can lead to an increase in income. Recent research published by the Soil Health Institute found that adopting soil health practices, like covers, led to a net income increase for 85% of farmers growing corn and 88% of those growing soybeans.
Farmers using soil health practices also reduced their average costs per acre, to the tune of $24 per acre for corn and $17 per acre for soybeans.
Those dollar amounts can add up over hundreds of acres and crop years. A regenerating perennial crop like black medic that doesn’t need an annual seed purchase can save dollars in the long run.
If you haven’t gotten fall covers established yet, now is the time to be seeding them, so many growers are thinking about what species to include in cover crop mixes. Self-seeding black medic might be a good choice.
This leguminous plant is officially listed as a noxious weed in Canada, but that classification is outdated, according to information from University of Wisconsin Extension. Black medic is native to the Mediterranean and the George variety has been studied in long-term plots in western Canada since the early 2000s. Black medic appears to work best in low-input systems.
In dry conditions, black medic growth is limited, while still helping establish and maintain soil aggregate stability. Data collected from a 2017 study conducted by Agriculture Canada agronomist Bill May found that medic reduced the mass of small aggregates and increased the mass of large aggregates.
Self-regenerating covers like black medic might be a way to nudge growers into using cover crops, which can lead to an increase in income. Recent research published by the Soil Health Institute found that adopting soil health practices, like covers, led to a net income increase for 85% of farmers growing corn and 88% of those growing soybeans.
Farmers using soil health practices also reduced their average costs per acre, to the tune of $24 per acre for corn and $17 per acre for soybeans.
Those dollar amounts can add up over hundreds of acres and crop years. A regenerating perennial crop like black medic that doesn’t need an annual seed purchase can save dollars in the long run.
