Soil health

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%.

Rotational Crops After Potatoes Improve Soil Health

July 28, 2021 | Posted in Soil Health

Source: WAGM

"Instead of controlling one disease versus multiple, we do the integrated way by using different crops as a nutrient input and also as a disease suppression strategy,” says Jay Hao, Professor of Plant Pathology for the University of Maine. Read more in this article from WAGM.

[Video] Using a Soil Pit to Determine Soil Health

July 22, 2021 | Posted in Termination

In this video from Michigan State University Extension, Paul Gross explains how you can dig a little and learn a lot about soil health on your farm through a soil pit.

Develop Mutually Agreeable Lease Terms to Reap Soil Health, Yield Rewards

Tenants and landlords should work together to resolve the many logistics around cover crops, including the number of acres planted, expenses, profits and other issues.

By Libby Wawzenek posted on July 22, 2021 | Posted in Grazing

Statistics show that cover crop adoption is on the rise across the U.S. There was a 50% increase in the amount of land on which farmers planted cover crops between 2012 and 2017, according to the USDA’s 2017 Census of Agriculture.

How to Avoid Soil Compaction When Grazing Covers

July 14, 2021 | Posted in Grazing

Source: Lancaster Farming

Cover crops are considered one of the most effective and economical ways to improve soil health. It is important, however, to avoid causing excessive compaction that could negatively affect following crop yield and increase runoff and erosion. Read more in this article from Lancaster Farming.