Cover crops - Articles

[Video] Cover Crops & Moisture: One Grower's Experience

December 29, 2020 | Posted in Grazing

Charlie Edinger, a grower from South Dakota, shares his experiences using cover crops to manage moisture in the growing season to soak up excess moisture and prepare his fields for planting cash crops.

Cold Doesn't Always Kill Covers Over the Winter

December 28, 2020 | Posted in Grazing

Source: Hay & Forage Grower

By definition, cover crops are planted to protect the soil and contribute to improved soil health. However, often these annual forages are also grazed or harvested as livestock feed in the spring or early summer in an effort to make them more cost effective. Read more in this story from Hay & Forage Grower.

Cover Crops in Potato Rotations

December 23, 2020 | Posted in Soil Health

Source: Potato News Today

In humid climates, there is a high risk of topsoil loss from erosion on bare soil as well as nitrogen from fertilizers leaking or leaching from the soil into water sources, which can cause groundwater pollution. This is especially true in the fall, after potato harvest, and in the spring, due to melting snow. Read more in this story from Potato News Today.

[Video] Cover Crops Speed Up No-Till Transition

December 22, 2020 | Posted in Seeding Practices

Hear from long-time South Dakota no-tillers as they discuss how cover crops impact the transition to using no-till, which cover crop species help better utilize soil moisture, why cover crops are growing in popularity, and more.

[Podcast] Grazing Covers a Win-Win for Growers, Livestock Producers

This week’s podcast, sponsored by Yetter Equipment, features Richard Ehrhardt, Senior Extension Specialist for Small Ruminants, Michigan State University

December 22, 2020 | Posted in Grazing

This week’s podcast, sponsored by Yetter Equipment, features Richard Ehrhardt, Senior Extension Specialist for Small Ruminants, Michigan State University. Ehrhardt discuss how grazing cover crops can reduce feed costs for livestock producers, which species of livestock are best suited for grazing covers, how covers can extend the grazing season for livestock producers, and more.

Cover Crops Can Influence Pest Populations

By Sarah Hill posted on December 21, 2020

Cover crops have numerous benefits, which we’ve discussed at length in this blog—everything from improving soil health, increasing water infiltration, suppressing weeds, and more. One under-utilized benefit of covers is how cover crops can be used for pest management.

Soybeans, Cover Crops: A Winning Combo

December 21, 2020 | Posted in Seeding Practices

Source: Ohio's Country Journal

On paper, adding a cover crop to a farming production system looks simple enough: plant a small grain such as cereal rye as soon as the cash crop harvest is done; let it grow, then terminate it prior to planting in the spring. But farmers and agronomists know it’s not that simple. Read more in this article from Ohio's Country Journal.

[Podcast] Soil Quality Management vs. Quality Soil Management

This week’s podcast, sponsored by Yetter Equipment, features Salvador Ramirez, Doctor of Plant Health and Postdoctoral Research Associate with the University of Nebraska and Fernanda Krupek, Agronomy Graduate Research Assistant, also at the University of Nebraska. Ramirez and Krupek discuss how the difference between soil quality management and quality soil management, strategies for measuring soil quality, and the economics of improving soil quality.

December 18, 2020 | Posted in Soil Health

This week’s podcast, sponsored by Yetter Equipment, features Salvador Ramirez, Doctor of Plant Health and Postdoctoral Research Associate with the University of Nebraska and Fernanda Krupek, Agronomy Graduate Research Assistant, also at the University of Nebraska. Ramirez and Krupek discuss how the difference between soil quality management and quality soil management, strategies for measuring soil quality, and the economics of improving soil quality.

[Video] Proper Planting Depth for Covers

December 14, 2020 | Posted in Seeding Practices

Hear a group of South Dakota growers discuss which cover crop species have presented challenges when planting, which cover crop species need to be planted deep, which cover crop species germinate from a lower depth, and more.

Disease Risk When Using Covers?

December 14, 2020 | Posted in Soil Health

Source: AgWeek

There is not a one-size-fits-all answer, and that’s good! There is a wealth of diversity in crop production, soil types, cultural practices, crop inputs and many other factors. Read more in this article from AgWeek.