Soil health - Articles

2021 Fall National Cover Crop Summit

Lessons in Continuous Cover Cropping

A long-time no-tiller presents valuable lessons learned in the field at the 2021 Fall National Cover Crop Summit.

November 1, 2021 | Posted in Economics

Grower Mike Brocksmith, Vincennes, Ind., has used conservation tillage for nearly 45 years. During the 2021 Fall National Cover Crop Summit, he will discuss the changes his farm has seen since implementing cover crops in 2009, including changes to the soil and nutrient levels.

2021 Fall National Cover Crop Summit

Growers Share Their Experiences with Cover Crops & Soil Health

Three growers share the soil health changes that they can attribute to their use of cover crops at the 2021 Fall National Cover Crop Summit.

October 29, 2021 | Posted in Soil Health

Cover crops can make major changes to the soil, including improving soil biology, increasing water infiltration, enhancing soil aggregation, and more. A special grower panel will be held during the 2021 Fall National Cover Crop Summit to discuss what covers can do when it comes to soil health.

How Cover Crops Affect Soil Water, Nitrogen, Oxygen Dynamics

October 27, 2021 | Posted in Soil Health

Source: University of Illinois Extension

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 the University of Illinois.

Winter Rye Between Corn and Soybean are Good Cover Crop Strategy

October 13, 2021 | Posted in Soil Health

Source: South Dakota State University Extension

With much interest in soil health and crop diversity, interest in cover crops has increased greatly in recent times. Although the 2021 growing season in South Dakota has been impacted by widespread drought and record-high temperatures, especially in June and July, the recent rain events have brought the cover crop thoughts back into producers’ minds. Read more in this article from South Dakota State University Extension.

Purdue Ag Economy Barometer Finds That Most Growers Still New to Using Cover Crops

Out of 400 large-acreage growers surveyed, 41% are currently seeding covers on their operations.

By Sarah Hill posted on October 7, 2021 | Posted in Seeding Practices

The practice of using cover crops still has plenty of room for growth, according to the results of the August Purdue Ag Economy Barometer. Forty-one percent of growers with production of more than $500,000 annually said they are currently using cover crops, while 65% of growers responded that they had either used cover crops in the past or were currently using covers.

2021 National Cover Crop Summit: Fall Edition

Never Stop Learning at the Fall Cover Crop Summit

Experienced growers who use cover crops and industry experts to share their insights on a variety of topics at the National Cover Crop Summit: Fall 2021 Edition, Nov. 16-17.

October 4, 2021

This free, 2-day virtual event on Nov. 16-17 will feature 8 sessions sharing ideas, tips and information from crop industry experts and growers who have experience using cover crops to maximize economic and soil-health building benefits.

[Podcast] Look for Signs of Soil Biology as Winter Approaches

This week’s podcast, sponsored by GS3 Quality Seed, features Jamie Patton, Senior Outreach Specialist, Nutrient & Pest Management, University of Wisconsin. Patton will discuss what soil health going into winter, why growers should invest in soil testing, when to conduct soil testing and more.

September 22, 2021 | Posted in Soil Health

This week’s podcast, sponsored by GS3 Quality Seed, features Jamie Patton, Senior Outreach Specialist, Nutrient & Pest Management, University of Wisconsin. Patton will discuss what soil health going into winter, why growers should invest in soil testing, when to conduct soil testing and more.

Cover Crop Considerations

September 15, 2021 | Posted in Seeding Practices

Source: Capital Journal (Pierre, SD)

Now is the time to think about fitting a cover crop into your rotation. There are many different advantages to using cover crops including reducing pest pressures, keeping the soil protected, recycling nutrients, adding organic matter, additional forage opportunities, and more. Read more in this article from the Capital Journal (Pierre, SD).

[Video] Planting High-Carbon Cover Crops

September 1, 2021 | Posted in Soil Health

Dan Forgey, Cronin Farms, Gettysburg, SD, discusses why high- carbon cover crops create soil armor and increase soil structure.

Covers Improve Soil Health: Why Aren’t We Incentivizing Them More?

By Sarah Hill posted on August 30, 2021

Kudos to the tiny-but-mighty state of Vermont, which has recorded nearly 30% of its available cropland planted to covers in 2017, according to the Soil Health Institute. That’s far above the U.S. average of 5.6%.