Legumes as a cover crop

Study Highlights Benefits of Multi-Species Cover Crop Mixes

By Jordan Strickler posted on July 24, 2024 | Posted in Seeding Practices, Soil Health

Source: Phys.org

A University of Kentucky study titled "Productivity benefits of cereal-legume cover crop mixtures under variable soil nitrogen and termination times" suggests that mixing cover crops is a beneficial strategy for modern agriculture.

Managing Root Rot in Cover Crops with Pulses

By Sue Roesler posted on February 2, 2024 | Posted in Seeding Practices

Source: The Prairie Star

Producers are increasingly planting cover crops to improve soil quality, help manage weeds or pests, and provide livestock forage – but is root rot a possibility when pulses, specifically peas and lentils, are added to improve the nutrition of the mix?

Agoro Carbon Introduces New Legume Cover Crop Practice

New practice addition opens the door for legacy cover crop growers to participate in the carbon market with Agoro Carbon Alliance for the first time

August 11, 2023 | Posted in Soil Health, Economics

The practice addition will allow legacy farmers, who are already leveraging cover crop strategies, to join Agoro Carbon Alliance and get paid for sequestering carbon for the first time.

How to Prevent Cover Crops from Failing to Fix Nitrogen

September 30, 2020 | Posted in Soil Health

Source: SARE

Known for their ability to produce nitrogen, legumes actually partner with rhizobium bacteria to create or fix nitrogen through specialized organs in their roots called nodules. This unique relationship adds nitrogen back to the soil so it can be used as fertilizer by future crops. Read more in this article from the Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SARE) program.

More Land Required to Produce Cover Crop Seed

July 15, 2020 | Posted in Economics

Source: Seed World

The growth in cover cropping may soon hit a ceiling: planting millions of acres of cover crops will require huge extensions of land to produce cover crop seed. Between 3 and 6% of the 92 million acres of cropping land currently used for corn in the U.S. may be required to produce cover crop seed for that land area. Read more in this article from Seed World.

Study: Cover Crops Improve Soil Health

June 12, 2020 | Posted in Soil Health

Source: Las Cruces Sun News

A five-year study by a New Mexico State University researcher found that integrating cover crops, such as legumes and grasses, into existing cropping systems can increase the biological health of soils on hot and dry semiarid lands. Read more in this article from the Las Cruces Sun News.

Cover Crops Have Economic Impact on Cash Crops

October 15, 2019 | Posted in Economics

Source: University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources

Proponents say that rotating cash crops such as soybeans, wheat and corn with cover crops such as legumes, grasses and forbs has many benefits. It replenishes the soil, reduces erosion, cuts down on runoff pollution and helps to control pests. Read more in this article from University of Missouri.