There is a lot of interest in haying or grazing a cover crop planted on prevented planting acres. This is mostly the result of projected lower yielding 2020 hay production due to a late freeze and current dry conditions. Read more in this article from AgWeek.

Chris Reynolds, certified crop advisor and resource conservationist from Illinois discusses why species choice is important when analyzing covers, how to determine planting dates for cover crops, when growers should start thinking about covers in the season, and more.

Challenging harvest conditions in the fall of 2019 in combination with excess moisture and cool temperatures this spring have inhibited spring planting, resulting in above normal acres of prevented planting. In addition, many livestock producers in the region are short on forage due to harvest challenges in 2019 and delayed pasture readiness this spring.

Grazing systems can also gain from the soil health benefits offered by cover crops, according to Matt Poore, Extension Livestock Coordinator and Ruminant Nutrition Specialist with North Carolina State University. In this podcast, Poore discusses using annuals to improve soil health in grazing systems for livestock.

Options for cover crops after a June harvest of 2019 corn with anticipated crop in 2021 being soybeans. If you have livestock, then the options are limitless and focusing on including a cool season grass (oats or barley), warm season grass (sorghum), cool season legume (peas) and cool season broadleaf (radish) could work really well. Read more in this article from AgWeek.

For growers who use cover crops, grazing is the next level of utilization if the proper opportunity presents itself. If a grower owns their own livestock, cover crops are an additional feed source, especially during winter months when hay and other forages are more expensive.

Livestock grazing could be beneficial for organic farming systems. "Fresh produce growers and their advisors will benefit from learning about the impacts of integrating livestock grazing with winter cover crop management on soil health including soil organic matter, nutrient cycling and reduced nitrate leaching, and potential food safety risks discovered in this project to make decisions on adoption, management, and environmental benefits of winter cover crop management in annual vegetable systems," said Alda Pires, University of California Cooperative Extension specialist in the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and principle investigator in the study.

Cover crops can be immediately planted following grain crop harvest, or during fallow in a rotation, which provides extra forage in the fall that can be harvested or grazed. Many producers are already inserting full season cover crops for grazing into their cropping rotation.

While cover crops are not a new concept for farmers, Erika Lundy said she has been impressed with the amount of adaptation and implementation she has seen over the past few years. Lundy, a beef specialist with Iowa State University Extension, said one of the major benefits of cover crops is providing high-quality forage for cattle with high protein and energy levels. Read more in this article from the Lincoln Journal Star.

Dr. Kim Cassida, Forage & Cover Crop Specialist with Michigan State University, explains how to increase forage yield in alfalfa, why you should reconsider planting spring-seeded alfalfa, how alfalfa acts like a cover crop in corn, and more.