One of the cornerstones of regenerative agriculture is to have plants growing in the soil for as many days of the year as possible. While today’s agronomic practices are predominately based on using annual cash crops, it is an opportunity to get cover cropping into the management fold.

A team of Clemson University researchers has found certain cover crops do not compete with cash crops for nutrients and water when grown in upstate South Carolina’s sandy loam soils.

For this episode of the Cover Crop Strategies podcast, brought to you by La Crosse Seed, contributing editor Martha Mintz talks with Wisconsin no-tiller Tom Burlingham about that discovery, and the overall impact cover crops are having on his farm. He tells us what’s working, and what key adjustments to make when something’s not.

In 2019-20, Nebraska Healthy Soils Task Force (HSTF) conducted a survey to learn about producers' motivation and challenges in cover crop (CC), nutrient and other soil health management practices across the state. A total of 275 people participated in the survey of which 64.0% (n=176) were producers, 4.7% (n = 13) were landowners, 10.9% (n = 30) were crop consultants, 16.4% (n = 45) were from the university, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and state agencies, and other attendees were 4.0% (n = 11). Read more in this article from University of Nebraska Extension.

In this video, Dr. Clain Jones, Extension Soil Fertility Specialist with the Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences at Montana State University, discusses how such agricultural practices such as cropping systems, cover crops, and nutrient management affect soil health in semi-arid climates. Dr. Jones includes soil health parameters, including soil organic matter, pH, enzyme activities, nitrogen availability, and infiltration rates.

This week’s podcast, sponsored by NewLeaf Symbiotics, features Dan Smith, Southwest Regional Specialist with the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Smith will discuss the ideal seeding rate for cover crops when used for weed suppression, which cover crop species are better at weed suppression, how long covers should grow to be effective at weed suppression, and more.

This week’s podcast, sponsored by NewLeaf Symbiotics, features Daniel Kaiser, Nutrient Management Specialist, University of Minnesota Extension. Kaiser will discuss soil pH values for both corn and soybeans, the range of pH values for optimum crop performance, how growers can adjust their soil pH, and more.

Organic matter gives soil structure, allowing it to better drain and hold nutrients. Carbon left in the soil becomes a permanent part of the soil, which is released from the soil upon cultivation. Find out how to build soil organic matter and how to sequester more carbon in the soil in this video from Utah State University.