Corn Calamity

Corn Calamity. Due to a shallow root structure, an August windstorm in 2018 wiped out every corn plant on Mike Starkey’s conventionally tilled acres. His no-tilled corn remained unharmed despite being the same hybrid.

Combatting Compaction with Cover Crops

By James DeGraff
During the summer of 2011, Brownsburg, Ind., corn, soybean and wheat no-tiller Mike Starkey agreed to host the John Deere Roll-Out new equipment event on his farm, leasing out a 75-acre corn plot at the entrance of his 2,600-acre operation.

  • Better Cover Management

    Cover crops are widely seen as one of the most promising conservation practices, improving soil health while also removing carbon from the atmosphere. But while the number of Midwestern farmers planting cover crops has increased markedly in recent years, 2017 USDA Census data show only about 5% have adopted the conservation practice. Read more in this article from KMA Land.

  • On-farm Research Indicates Importance of Cover Crops for Soil Health

    Extending the presence of living vegetative cover to more months of the year through the use of cover crops has several environmental benefits — for example, prevention of soil erosion and nutrient leaching, improvement of soil microbial habitat and weed/pest suppression. But how much does including cover crops on farms improve physical, chemical and biological indicators of soil health? Read more in this article from University of Nebraska Extension.

  • USDA NRCS Announces New EQIP Cover Crop Initiative

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is announcing several new and expanded opportunities for climate smart agriculture in 2022. Updates include nationwide availability of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Conservation Incentive Contracts option, a new and streamlined EQIP Cover Crop Initiative, and added flexibilities for producers to easily re-enroll in the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). Read more in this press release from NRCS.
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Seeding Practices

  • Research Examines Cover Crop Use With Corn

    Researchers are looking at how to successfully use cover crops in corn production systems must develop strategies to overcome challenges unique to this row crop. Cover crops are plants grown outside of the normal cropping season mainly for conservation purposes.

  • [Podcast] Cover Crops Need Planning for Weed Management

    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.

  • More Data Needed on Covers

    Even after spending more than a decade using cover crops and dedicating their farm to the practice, Kyle Grumke, a western Missouri corn, soybean and forage grower admits that sometimes picking cover crop seed isn’t top-of-mind until right when it’s needed. “I really need to be working on getting the seed I need on hand for fall in that July time frame,” he says. Read more in this article from Seed World.
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Grazing

  • [Podcast] Grazing Beef Cattle on Cover Crops Provides Economic Returns

    This week’s podcast, sponsored by Montag Manufacturing, features Dan Shike, Associate Professor, Animal Science, University of Illinois. Shike will discuss the benefits cover crop grazing can offer livestock producers, the planning needed to incorporate covers into a beef operation, how grazing cover crops affects soil health, and more.

  • Winter Cereals Are a Forage Option

    The drought of 2021 left many ranchers short of feed, both grazing forage and hay. A great option for spring grazing or hay production is winter cereals. Read this article from North Dakota State University.
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Preventing Saline Soils

Lee Briese, a crop consultant from North Dakota, shares tips on how growers can prevent their soils from becoming saline in the first place.
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Soil Health

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  • Cover Crops Can Help Farmers Meet Carbon Sequestration Goals

    The biggest flour miller in the U.S. is looking to shift 250,000 acres of wheat fields to using regenerative agriculture practices, including cover crops by the end of this year. Ardent Mills, the largest North American miller of wheat for flour, is based in Denver, Colo., and wants to improve soil health, water quality, and crop yields while simultaneously trying to keep climate change at bay.

  • Better Cover Management

    Cover crops are widely seen as one of the most promising conservation practices, improving soil health while also removing carbon from the atmosphere. But while the number of Midwestern farmers planting cover crops has increased markedly in recent years, 2017 USDA Census data show only about 5% have adopted the conservation practice. Read more in this article from KMA Land.

  • On-farm Research Indicates Importance of Cover Crops for Soil Health

    Extending the presence of living vegetative cover to more months of the year through the use of cover crops has several environmental benefits — for example, prevention of soil erosion and nutrient leaching, improvement of soil microbial habitat and weed/pest suppression. But how much does including cover crops on farms improve physical, chemical and biological indicators of soil health? Read more in this article from University of Nebraska Extension.

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