Jon Bakehouse didn’t jump right into planting cover crops. Instead, he did a lot of research before finally giving it a try several years ago.

A 2021 study by Iowa State University scholars entitled “Developing farmer typologies to inform conservation outreach in agricultural landscapes” groups farmers into four typologies or personalities depending on their approach to conservation. Read more in this article from Iowa Learning Farms.

This week’s podcast, sponsored by Montag Manufacturing, features strip-tiller and cover crop advocate Wayne Fredericks, Osage, Iowa. Fredericks will discuss how he transitioned to using crops on 100% of his acres, his cover crop goals, how using covers has helped him reduce fertilizer use, and more.

This week’s podcast, sponsored by NewLeaf Symbiotics, features Alison Robertson, Field Crops Pathologist, Iowa State University. Robertson will discuss how seedling disease might be responsible for occasional yield drag in corn, how rye cover crops can contribute to that yield drag, trials she’s conducted evaluating the impact of cover crops on seedling disease, and more.

Farmers are becoming more open to acknowledging that carbon emissions and climate change are becoming a problem, according to Iowa State University researcher J. Arbuckle. And it’s a good thing they’re willing to talk about it, as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states that without cutting carbon emissions, growers will face increasing weather challenges, including severe storms, droughts, floods and pest migrations — problems that could be a major hit to the bottom line.

This week’s podcast, sponsored by GS3 Quality Seed, features Matt Helmers, Director, Iowa Nutrient Research Center, Iowa State University. Helmers will discuss how planting covers after applying manure affects nitrate concentrations, how the timing of cover crop planting affects nitrate concentrations, how cover crops help nitrogen in the soil, and more.

Producers should seek to protect themselves from market volatility by finding innovative practices that add to their bottom line. Cover crops might be the answer. Read more in this article from the Waukon Standard (Waukon, Iowa).