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Articles by John Dobberstein

Equipment Options Make Interseeding a Viable Practice

Planting covers into a living cash crop can be a challenge, but many growers are using the right tools to make interseeding work and extend cover crop benefits.
By John Dobberstein posted on July 24, 2020
Whether by airplane, spreader or toolbar, interseeding cover crops into cash crops is a trend that appears to be growing in popularity as a way for growers to accommodate weather challenges, increase crop diversity and boost soil health more efficiently. The Cover Crop Benchmark Study released this year by Cover Crop Strategies details some of the first in-depth data available in the ag industry on interseeding practices for U.S. farmers, including equipment utilized and planting timings that work for growers.
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Swapping ‘Jugs’ for Cover Crops Leads to Greener No-Till Future

Matt Griggs says embracing biomass in his fields has improved soil tilth and health, stabilized yields, enhanced weed control and produced a better-looking balance sheet.
By John Dobberstein posted on May 22, 2020 | Posted in Seeding Practices
When Matt Griggs decided to embark on no-till practices more than a decade ago he was already dealing with a degraded soil resource. More than 100 years of conventional tillage and a monoculture of cotton on his family’s rolling farm ground had caused erosion and stripped soils of organic matter.
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Tips for Terminating Cover Crops Without Glyphosate

With the popular weed killer in legal straits in the U.S., no-tillers say they’d turn to other chemicals, rollers or other options. But most won’t give up on cover crops.
By John Dobberstein posted on May 8, 2020 | Posted in Seeding Practices, Termination
Glyphosate has been invaluable to no-tillers in North America and overseas as an inexpensive, effective tool for not only killing weeds but also terminating cover crops ahead of or after planting.
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John Dobberstein

New Technique for Silage with Cover Crops

By John Dobberstein posted on November 29, 2019 | Posted in Seeding Practices
For many growers who took a prevented planting claim, 2019 might have been their first foray into cover crops. There’s always a learning curve to go through, but sometimes it leads to new ways of approaching challenges. Read on to see how a Minnesota livestock operation tackled their feed problems with covers.
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John Dobberstein
From the Desk of John Dobberstein

A Win-Win for Cover Crops in the Chesapeake Bay

By John Dobberstein posted on May 24, 2019 | Posted in Soil Health
Cover crops have been a key tool for protecting water quality in the Chesapeake Bay region and helping farmers improve soil tilth and health, but regulating nitrogen (N) with covers has proven difficult. Read what Penn State University researchers discovered about the ability of different species to sequester and fix N.
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The National No-Tillage Conference returns January 9-12, 2024! Build and refine your no-till system with dozens of new ideas and connections at the 32nd Annual National No-Tillage Conference in Indianapolis, Ind. Jan. 9-12, 2024. 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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New FAA Exemption: Efficiency Boost or Safety Hazard?

New FAA Exemption: Efficiency Boost or Safety Hazard?

The Federal Aviation Administration recently granted a regulation exemption that will allow 1 person to operate 3 drones in a swarm. While some see this as a big win from a productivity standpoint since it has the potential to make cover crop drone seeing more efficient, others see it as a massive safety concern.

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