Termination

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Soil Health

Deeper Roots, Surface Residue from Cover Crops Battle Drought

With proper termination timing, cover crops benefit cash crops during dry years

By Mackane Vogel posted on April 24, 2024 | Posted in Soil Health, Termination

Drought continues to be a concern for many growers especially for much of the midwest and southern United States, as is depicted in the soil moisture conditions map.

Benchmark Survey

Cereal Rye, Post-Harvest Planting & Air Seeding Grow in Popularity

5th Annual Cover Crops Operational Practices Survey Asks Farmers About Cover Crop Management

By Mackane Vogel posted on April 24, 2024 | Posted in Seeding Practices, Soil Health, Termination

A total of 355 growers from across the U.S. participated in the 5th annual Cover Crops Operational Practices Survey, which featured questions on species selection, seeding methods, termination timing in 2023 and cover-cropping plans for 2024.

Cover Crops

When Is the Best Time to Terminate Cereal Rye to Suppress Weeds & Protect No-Till Soybean Yield?

1st year of research shows that between 7-14 days after soybean emergence, rye increases weed suppression by 5.3% per day but hurts yield by about ½ bushel per day

By Michaela Paukner posted on April 24, 2024 | Posted in Termination

74% of the farmers who responded to the 2024 Cover Crops Operational Practices Survey say cover crops provide at least some level of weed suppression in their fields.

Termination Options for Cover Crops & Winter Cereal Forages

Best management practices for terminating winter cereal forages and cover crops with pre-plant burndown programs.

By Dwight Lingenfelter and John Wallace posted on April 12, 2024 | Posted in Termination

Source: Penn State Extension

As planting season approaches, here are a few best management practices for starting clean in fields with winter cereals that will be harvested for forage or cover crops that will be terminated ahead of planting.

Which Cover Crops Bloom Early Enough to Benefit Following Corn Crop?

By John Hart posted on April 2, 2024 | Posted in Soil Health, Termination

Source: Farm Progress

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.

Steve Groff's Winter King Hairy Vetch Survives Multiple Freeze-Thaw Cycles

By Mackane Vogel posted on March 25, 2024 | Posted in Seeding Practices, Termination

Steve Groff never planned to develop a new variety of cover crop. In fact, the Holtwood, Pa., no-tiller and cover crop expert believes that he is more often recognized for his contribution of the tillage radish as a cover crop in the early 2000s.

Can Taller Cover Crops Lead to Cleaner Water?

By Brian Devore posted on March 4, 2024 | Posted in Soil Health, Investing in Regenerative Ag, Economics, Termination

Source: Civil Eats

In 2022, Olmsted County commissioners Mark Thein and Gregg Wright approached staffers in the local soil and water conservation district office and asked a seemingly straightforward question: How can we keep nitrates out of the groundwater?

Cover Cropping in the Arid West, Part 2: Termination Options for Cover Crops

November 2, 2023 | Posted in Soil Health, Termination

Source: NCAT

Rex Dufour introduces the different methods of terminating cover crops. He goes into detail about the equipment that is used and the benefits of each method. The video is part of NCAT's "Soil for Water: Cover Cropping in the Arid-West" series.

How Cover Crop Species & Termination Time Affect N Release

By Gustavo Pesini, Tuana Ferreira de Almeida, and Andrea Basche posted on August 7, 2023 | Posted in Soil Health, Termination

Source: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources: Cropwatch

While later cover crop termination in the spring can allow for more biomass accumulation, such later termination can change the C-to-N composition of the plants impacting residue decomposition. Therefore, identifying the best time for cover crop termination to provide optimal N cycling benefits can help farmers make decisions about cover crop management.