No-till

Iowa Farmers Use Covers, Crop Rotations to Build Soil Health

March 18, 2020 | Posted in Soil Health

Source: Aberdeen News

Thirty-four years ago, a challenging harvest led Brian Hora, 57, to no-till farming. “It was an extremely wet fall. Heavy snow fell before we could get everything out. So, we had to finish up harvest in the spring,” explains the sixth-generation Iowa farmer. Read more in this article from the Aberdeen News.

Cover Crops, Other Soil Health Practices Can Help You Be Ready for Change

By Sarah Hill posted on March 17, 2020

Would you like to be less stressed? Have more fun? No, the answer is not buying a cheap plane ticket to a tropical destination. But a recent survey of South Dakota farmers and ranchers found that growers who use practices that improve soil health experienced less stress, were more satisfied with farming and are more optimistic about the future.

Switching to No-Till, Cover Crops Increases ROI

February 12, 2020 | Posted in Economics

Source: AgriNews

Switching from a traditional tillage system to a no-till and cover crop program can result in major benefits, including increased return on investment. Evaluate the optimal crop plan for your farming system and look at the return on investment for the overall crop rotation of three or four crops. Find out more in this article from AgriNews.

Vegetable Growers Also Need to Focus on Soil Health

February 10, 2020 | Posted in Soil Health

Source: Growing Produce

The importance of soil health and its role in the future of sustainable agriculture has been a topic of much discussion. While specialty crop growers understand the importance of healthy soils, much of the research on the topic has been dedicated to row crops like corn, soybeans, wheat, and cotton. But that’s changing, and more emphasis is being placed on soil health in fruit and vegetable production. Read more in this article from Growing Produce.

[Podcast] Less Fertilizer Needed for Vegetables When Grown with Covers

Cover crops are particularly impressive at controlling weeds in a vegetable production system, says Pennsylvania cover crop expert Steve Groff. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)

January 22, 2020 | Posted in Seeding Practices

Cover crops are particularly impressive at controlling weeds in a vegetable production system, says Pennsylvania cover crop expert Steve Groff. In this podcast, Groff explains how covers supply nitrogen in the soil for vegetable plants, why cover crops should not be used with early-producing vegetables, how pumpkins are cleaner when grown with covers, and more. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)

Rediscovering Cover Crops

January 16, 2020 | Posted in Soil Health

Source: USDA

Farmers throughout history have taken advantage of off-season plant growth to enhance their next year’s crops. These plants, called cover crops, are beneficial in many ways, including protection against weed infestation and soil erosion, as well as feed for farm animals.

Do Cover Crops Really Pay Off?

January 16, 2020 | Posted in Economics

Source: Kenosha News

After a year of difficult weather and low commodity prices, farmers everywhere are cutting back on costs. At the Conservation Tillage Conference (CTC) in December, many growers looked at the economics of reduced tillage/no-till and cover crops, and whether or not those management practices really pay off.

[Video] Improving Soil Through Cover Crops

December 30, 2019 | Posted in Soil Health

Grain farmer Jeff Frey has used no-till on his 700-acre farm in Willow Street, Penn., since the 1980s. Despite these efforts, Frey knew he needed to do more to protect his soil from erosion.

[Video] No-Till Planting Into Rye

December 23, 2019 | Posted in Termination

If you are planning to plant into a rye cover crop, it's best to wait to do so until 10 days after spraying the cover crop, according to Kevin Shelley with the University of Wisconsin-Madison Nutrient & Pest Management Program.

Iowa Operation Enhances Soil Health with Cover Crops

November 22, 2019 | Posted in Grazing

Source: Aberdeen News

A long-time no-tiller, Bo Fox, Monona County, Iowa, has expanded his crop management from no-tilling corn and soybeans to including crop rotations with small grains, cover crops, and livestock grazing of cover crops. While Bo has experimented with cover crops in the past, he recently worked with USDA’s NRCS to obtain planning and financial assistance to grow a diverse cover crop mix suitable for spring livestock grazing.