In this podcast the Holtwood, Pa., grower and Cover Crop Coach will discuss many factors that affect winter hardiness ratings, including planting date, temperatures, snow cover, wind chill, freeze-thaw cycles and more.

It’s often been said “You can’t manage what you don’t measure.” But developing a reliable process to research the benefits and effects of cover crops on the farm, and produce information that is useful, can be a challenge for some growers. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)

Slugs can be the worst enemy for growers utilizing no-till practices and cover crops in certain regions of the U.S. as the creatures thrive in potentially cool, wet conditions as cash crops emerge.

University of Idaho Extension shares a case study of Nez Perce, Idaho, producer Drew Leitch, who raises cover crops for grazing during the time when his grass pastures dry up. Drew says experimenting with annual cover crops has benefited both his cattle operation and his cropping operation.

Every grower wants to know how to make cover crops pay off on their farm but there can be myriad challenges, including climate. One approach is interseeding covers into standing corn to increase the amount of growing time and benefits rendered by covers to farm operations. Ag conservation consultant Dan Towery and Cover Crop Coach Steve Groff will talk about how to get started, equipment choices, the best time for interseeding, what cover crop species work best and issues with residual herbicides to be aware of.

The temptation with some growers starting out with cover crops might be to start reducing nutrient application rates right away in anticipation of a bump in nitrogen fixation and improved nutrient availability. But nutrient management with cover crops can be tricky and there are some precautionary measures to follow to ensure your cash crops don’t suffer.