Cover crops are a recognized method for increasing soil health by reducing soil erosion, increasing soil organic matter and improving soil structure. Cover crops can also safeguard water quality by reducing nitrate leaching.
The goal with interseeding cover crops into corn and soybean early in the growing season is to allow for more time for a cover crop to be established. Having more time for establishment prior to harvest can aid in suppressing weeds, capturing excess nitrogen, providing additional nitrogen, increasing diversity and establishing forage for grazing.
Time is one of the most precious commodities on a farm. There are windows of opportunity to accomplish certain tasks in production agriculture, and with the adoption of new practices, such as cover crops, sometimes those windows become limited. Read more in this article from Ohio's Country Journal.
Every grower wants to know how to make cover crops pay off on their farm but there can be myriad challenges, including climate. One approach is interseeding covers into standing corn to increase the amount of growing time and benefits rendered by covers to farm operations.
Every grower wants to know how to make cover crops pay off on their farm but there can be myriad challenges, including climate. One approach is interseeding covers into standing corn to increase the amount of growing time and benefits rendered by covers to farm operations. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)
One of the most common challenges no-tillers encounter with cover crops is at the very start — getting them seeded. Interseeding — the practice of seeding covers with a drill, spinner spreader, toolbar or sprayer into an established and growing cash crop — may provide a solution.
The National Strip-Tillage Conference returns August 8-9, 2024!Build and refine your strip-till system with dozens of new ideas and connections at the 11th Annual National Strip-Tillage Conference in Madison, Wis. Aug. 8-9, 2024. Experience an energizing 2-day agenda featuring inspiring general session speakers, expert-led Strip-Till Classrooms and collaborative Strip-Till Roundtables. Plus, Certified Crop Adviser credits will be offered.
Georgetown, Del., no-tiller Jay Baxter was planning on conducting a cover crop experiment with oats, but when Mother Nature got in the way, he quickly pivoted to another idea for a different type of cover crop experiment.