A University of Kentucky study titled "Productivity benefits of cereal-legume cover crop mixtures under variable soil nitrogen and termination times" suggests that mixing cover crops is a beneficial strategy for modern agriculture.
A benefit of legumes is that they can mine nitrogen, phosphorus, and potash from the subsoil. Frame said a goal of the research is to discover if those nutrients from the cover crop can be used by the cash crop following the cover crop.
Northwest Kansas no-tiller says his soil building and nutrient cycling didn’t start until he added livestock to his diversified farming operation. He credits grazing and cover crops for erosion control and yield increases.
When Michael Thompson was 18 he envisioned himself joining his parents in their farming operation in northwestern Kansas and becoming a dedicated, 100% cash grain farmer. However, life and generations of conventional farming got in the way.
Cereal rye cover crops added to a corn-soybean rotation seem to have little negative effect on yield, according to a five-year study conducted by Iowa Learning Farms and Practical Farmers of Iowa.
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.