An annual survey that was published recently shows Indiana continues to lead the nation in the acres of cover crops planted. The information collected during the fall transect also shows farmers are implementing no-till and strip-tillage practices. Read more in this article from Agri-News.

Cover crops combined with no-tillage systems can increase soil organic carbon, which could help slow climate change on farms, according to a recent study by University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment scientists. Located at UK’s Spindletop Research Farm in Lexington, the plots are only one of a few sites in the world that have been continuously in no-till agriculture for more than 50 years. Read more in this article from The Lane Report.

This week’s podcast features three Indiana farmers as they discuss planting cover crops with sweet corn, how no-tilling works in different soil types, retaining moisture with cover crops, and more.

After harvest in the fall, farmers take the harvested crops to market or store them on their farm. They don't take the whole plant from the field, though. The leftover parts of the plant, like the stalk and leaves from corn, remain in the field. This debris is called crop residue. Read more in this article from Phys.org and the American Society of Agronomy.

Country Crock, an Upfield brand, and No-till on the Plains, an agriculture educational non-profit, have partnered on a three-year program to support farmers with soil health education and cost-share to plant cover crops to improve soil health on fields.

As he has dozens of times since stumbling into the benefits of cover cropping and no-till farming nearly 50 years ago, Pennsylvania farmer Leroy Bupp set up his props for a talk on soil health at a large Chesapeake Bay conference. There were goofy moments, like calling out volunteers from the audience to replicate how worms breed. Read more in this article from the Chesapeake Bay Journal (Seven Valleys, PA).

Interest in organic farming has grown in the past several years, and Pennsylvania cover crop expert Steve Groff discusses how strategic planning can make a big difference in outcomes. Groff talks about why weed control is the biggest challenge when it comes to no-tilling organic with cover crops. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)

Nationwide, there has been a major trend in soil test results — a drop in potassium. Andy Wycislo, an agronomist who works with Waypoint Analytical, said there is no identified root cause for why potassium levels are dropping over the last few years, and while some other nutrients have seen decreases over the past couple of years, this one stands out. Read more in this article from the Rock Island Argus Dispatch.

The record wet year in 2019 left many acres in South Dakota unsuitable for planting, but on Doug Sieck's cropland near Selby, South Dakota, he was able to plant every acre he wanted to. He attributes that to decades of no till management and the years of cover cropping that have helped build healthy soil. Read more in this article from the Aberdeen News.

Pennsylvania cover crop expert Steve Groff talks about what equipment you need to plant into heavy covers, why residue cleaners are important during planting, what problems to expect when planting into heavy residue, and more. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)