The biggest challenge for many growers is that it can take weeks before soils are dry enough to be able to walk fields, let alone drive in with equipment. That means the already short growing season gets shorter, and precious time that could be spent growing a profitable crop is lost.
Cover crops offer a wide range of potential benefits for producers – better nutrient cycling, more weed suppression, more livestock forage, better soil structure, increased soil organic matter and healthier soil microbial communities. To reap those benefits, producers need to make some careful decisions.
Recent improvements to early-season corn hybrids could help no-tillers raise 200-bushel crops, seed cover crops earlier and capitalize on price advantages.
One obstacle to cover-crop adoption in cooler northern climates has been the typically narrow window for getting covers quickly seeded and established after corn harvest to capture benefits to no-till soils.
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.