Corn

Fungi on Cover Crop Roots Offsets Corn Yield Losses on Fallow Fields

A cover crop planted this fall on land flooded without a crop this year does more than control erosion and weeds. Fall-seeded cover crops can boost corn yields next year. A beneficial soil-borne fungus in healthy soil needs roots to survive in fallow years. Without the micro-fungus, fallow field syndrome could cut corn yields next season, says Greg Luce, University of Missouri Extension corn specialist, in this article from the Douglas County Herald.

  • Looking for Info on Cover Crops?

    Free fact sheets from the Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SARE) program explore the many ways cover crops can maintain soil and benefit the farm ecosystem, including improving soil conditions and preventing pollution; keeping nutrients out of waterways; covering the soil to prevent erosion; sequestering carbon and more.

  • Cover Crops, Compost & Carbon

    Recent research published in the Soil Science Society of America Journal compared farming systems that received different amounts and types of organic matter sourced from compost and cover crops. The results reiterated that soil enzyme activity confirms the importance of frequent cover cropping in tillage-intensive organic vegetable production.

  • ‘Learn, Unlearn & Relearn’: Farmers Benefit From Soil Health Practices

    Brad Zimmerman openly admits it was daunting when he “was handed the checkbook” to the farm after his father passed away. Zimmerman, of Groveland, a fifth-generation farmer and Tazewell County Soil and Water Conservation District director, shared his journey into farming and his experiences using cover crops at the recent Illinois SWCD annual conference in this article from AgriNews.
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Seeding Practices

  • 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.

  • Tips For Planting Soybeans As Cover Crops

    Soybean makes an excellent choice as a cover crop this year, says University of Missouri Extension soybean specialist Bill Wiebold in this article from University of Missouri Extension.

  • Testing Cover Crop Seed Quality

    Seed quality is key to establishing a good crop — or cover crop. According to Anne Dorrance, Ohio State University pathologist, some of the percent inert, and percent weeds, and a listing of noxious weeds identified by scientific/common name and quantity found. Learn more in this story from Ohio State University Extension.
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Grazing

  • 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.

  • Cover Crop Mixes That Produce High Quality Forage

    After a few weeks of talking about cover crop options on prevented planting acres that could not be hayed or grazed until Nov. 1, the date changed to Sept. 1. With this new date in mind, we can now talk about mixes that produce high quality material for haying or grazing. Read more in this article from AgWeek.
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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. 

  • Fungi on Cover Crop Roots Offsets Corn Yield Losses on Fallow Fields

    A cover crop planted this fall on land flooded without a crop this year does more than control erosion and weeds. Fall-seeded cover crops can boost corn yields next year. A beneficial soil-borne fungus in healthy soil needs roots to survive in fallow years. Without the micro-fungus, fallow field syndrome could cut corn yields next season, says Greg Luce, University of Missouri Extension corn specialist, in this article from the Douglas County Herald.

  • Cover Crops, Compost & Carbon

    Recent research published in the Soil Science Society of America Journal compared farming systems that received different amounts and types of organic matter sourced from compost and cover crops. The results reiterated that soil enzyme activity confirms the importance of frequent cover cropping in tillage-intensive organic vegetable production.

  • ‘Learn, Unlearn & Relearn’: Farmers Benefit From Soil Health Practices

    Brad Zimmerman openly admits it was daunting when he “was handed the checkbook” to the farm after his father passed away. Zimmerman, of Groveland, a fifth-generation farmer and Tazewell County Soil and Water Conservation District director, shared his journey into farming and his experiences using cover crops at the recent Illinois SWCD annual conference in this article from AgriNews.

  • [Podcast] Cover Crop Lessons Learned in France

    Pennsylvania cover crop expert Steve Groff shares his insights from visiting France and what American growers can learn from what is being done overseas. French growers are dealing with a ban on glyphosate, the impacts of organic agriculture, farming on steep slopes and more. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)

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