Editors' Picks

Florida citrus groves

Florida Citrus Industry Saved by Cover Crops?

For the last couple of decades, a tiny insect called the Asian citrus psyllid has fed on the stems and leaves of the orange trees in Florida, infecting them with bacteria that cause a lethal disease called citrus greening. After years of seeking remedies—everything from antibiotics to GMOs to psyllid-sniffing dogs—with little success, Florida’s embattled citrus growers have discovered a new tool, thanks to the work of researchers at the University of Florida: planting cover crops amidst the orange groves.
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Rediscovering Cover Crops

Farmers throughout history have taken advantage of off-season plant growth to enhance their next year’s crops. These plants, called cover crops, are beneficial in many ways, including protection against weed infestation and soil erosion, as well as feed for farm animals.
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Do Cover Crops Really Pay Off?

After a year of difficult weather and low commodity prices, farmers everywhere are cutting back on costs. At the Conservation Tillage Conference (CTC) in December, many growers looked at the economics of reduced tillage/no-till and cover crops, and whether or not those management practices really pay off.
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Sunn hemp

Hemp as a Cover Crop?

Researchers at Rodale Institute have spent the past few years taking a closer look how industrial hemp—especially crops grown for fiber or grain—may fit into farmers’ established crop rotation. Considering hemp’s hardy double-duty as both a cash crop and a cover crop, there’s a lot to learn.
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Cover Crops Can Help Control Nutrient Runoff

One way to control runoff of nitrogen and phosphorus is to have a growing crop on the field. “That’s why cover crops are so important,” said Gary Schnitkey, professor at the University of Illinois and U of I Extension farm management specialist.
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Economic Impact of Cover Crops

If you raise corn and soybeans, cover cropping could help you increase profits, but not right away, according to Rob Myers, regional director of Extension programs for the USDA-NIFA North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program. Myers is with University of Missouri. He presented “The Bottom Line with Cover Crops: Evaluating Their Economic Impact on Corn and Soybean Production” as a recent webinar hosted by Purdue University Center for Food and Agriculture Business, Cornell University Cooperative Extension, American Farmland Trust, Wood Soil & Water Conservation District and IPM Institute.
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Cover Crops: Insurance for a Wet Spring?

Joe Gardiner of Clearwater, Manitoba, has an insurance policy against a wet spring next year. Gardiner is one of a growing number of Manitoba farmers to embrace cover crops, having started the practice several years ago in an effort to increase fall grazing.
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The National No-Tillage Conference returns January 12-15, 2027! Build and refine your no-till system with dozens of new ideas and connections at the 35th Annual National No-Tillage Conference in Indianapolis, Jan. 12-15, 2027. Experience an energizing 4-day agenda featuring inspiring general session speakers, expert-led No-Till Classrooms and collaborative No-Till Roundtables. Plus, Certified Crop Adviser credits will be offered.

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