Cover crops

A Cash Crop Farmer’s Advice for a Successful Cover Crop

It’s been a tough year for many producers throughout the Midwest with record acreage going into prevent plant. Dave Chance of Chance Farms in Lebanon, Ind., was no exception this spring, drilling 600 acres of his 2,200 acre corn and soybean farm with cover crops. Unable to get any corn in the ground, Dave managed to plant 1,450 acres of soybeans. Find out his tips in this article from Grassland Oregon.

  • Rejuvenate Fields by Tapping Power of Sunlight

    As soybeans started to blossom in Andy Lacey’s field west of Trent, another plant was in full bloom, sprouting clusters of white within the rows of beans. The white were the flowers of buckwheat — one of three cover crop species Lacey planted a week after his soybeans this spring. Find out how Lacey captures sunlight in this article from Tri-State Neighbor.

  • Weather Patterns, Planting Dates Influence Cover Crop Forage Yields

    Cover crops protect soil and water quality and often provide a valuable source of livestock feed. However, not much research has been done regarding the value and viability of using cover crops for forage. A new study supported by the Iowa Nutrient Research Center and Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture evaluated the use of cover crops to get a better understanding of its forage yield and quality, cattle performance, and soil health. Find out more in this article by Michaela King with Hay & Forage Grower.

  • The Facts on Nitrogen Release Using Cover Crops in the Dakotas

    There's this idea floating around that cover crops will take up nitrogen this growing season and then release that nitrogen for next year's crop. Add on top of that, an ability to anticipate when that nitrogen will be released by selecting specific cover crops in a mix (this is the C:N ratio stuff you hear about). Find out more in this article from AgWeek by Abbey Wick, North Dakota State University Extension Soil Health Specialist.
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Seeding Practices

  • A Cash Crop Farmer’s Advice for a Successful Cover Crop

    It’s been a tough year for many producers throughout the Midwest with record acreage going into prevent plant. Dave Chance of Chance Farms in Lebanon, Ind., was no exception this spring, drilling 600 acres of his 2,200 acre corn and soybean farm with cover crops. Unable to get any corn in the ground, Dave managed to plant 1,450 acres of soybeans. Find out his tips in this article from Grassland Oregon.

  • Nutrient Application & Cover Crops Go Hand in Hand

    Thinking about applying manure soon on fields where short-season crops like sweet corn or peas have already come off or will be harvested in the next few weeks? Consider planting a cover crop to hold the nutrients in place this fall and next spring, according to this article from University of Minnesota Extension.

  • Lentils: Not Your Average Cover Crop

    Using the test plots at the Peninsula Research Station near Sturgeon Bay in cooperation with Door County agricultural agent Annie Deutsch, the Extension Service's northeast area nutrient and pest management program senior outreach specialist Jamie Patton plans to grow lentils in combination with other cover crops.
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Grazing

  • Weather Patterns, Planting Dates Influence Cover Crop Forage Yields

    Cover crops protect soil and water quality and often provide a valuable source of livestock feed. However, not much research has been done regarding the value and viability of using cover crops for forage. A new study supported by the Iowa Nutrient Research Center and Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture evaluated the use of cover crops to get a better understanding of its forage yield and quality, cattle performance, and soil health. Find out more in this article by Michaela King with Hay & Forage Grower.

  • Cover Crops May Have Value as Cattle Feed

    Cover crops are known to protect soil and water quality, but they also can offer valuable livestock feed, according to Iowa State University research. Find out more in this article from Feedstuffs.

  • Factors for Success With Forage Cover Crops on Prevent Plant Acres

    A large quantity of forage will likely be harvested from prevented plant acres this year, given the 2019 changes to USDA RMA’s prevented planting rules. This article from University of Minnesota Extension outlines factors to consider for successfully selecting the best forage cover crops to use on prevent plant acres.
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Featured Video

20 Years of Cover Crop Experience

Trey Hill and his father own Harborview Farm on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, where they grow corn, soybeans and wheat. He has been growing cover crops for 20 years, and in the last few years has been planting them on all of his acreage.
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Soil Health

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McElroy Cover

Planting into cover crops in southern Illinois near Farina, Randy McElroy conducts research on crop production for three tillage types, no-till, minimal tillage and conventional tillage. Six-year averages place no-till in the lead from an overall yield perspective. 

  • Rejuvenate Fields by Tapping Power of Sunlight

    As soybeans started to blossom in Andy Lacey’s field west of Trent, another plant was in full bloom, sprouting clusters of white within the rows of beans. The white were the flowers of buckwheat — one of three cover crop species Lacey planted a week after his soybeans this spring. Find out how Lacey captures sunlight in this article from Tri-State Neighbor.

  • The Facts on Nitrogen Release Using Cover Crops in the Dakotas

    There's this idea floating around that cover crops will take up nitrogen this growing season and then release that nitrogen for next year's crop. Add on top of that, an ability to anticipate when that nitrogen will be released by selecting specific cover crops in a mix (this is the C:N ratio stuff you hear about). Find out more in this article from AgWeek by Abbey Wick, North Dakota State University Extension Soil Health Specialist.

  • [Podcast] Cover Crop Lessons Learned in Hungary

    Hungary is the destination for this week’s podcast, as Pennsylvania cover crop expert Steve Groff shares his observations from visiting the country for their first-ever soil health conference. Hungarian growers are just becoming more interested in cover crops and no-till, despite the fact that they plow up to 90% of their land. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)

  • [Video] Cover Crops in Every Rotation

    At Frog Song Organics in North Central Florida, John Bitter grows a little bit of everything, upwards of 80 crops in a year. Figuring out his rotations is the key to success as an organic farmer, and cover crops are an integral part of every rotation.

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