Seeding Practices

Hitting the Road — Editors Prepare for Upcoming Farm Visits

mvogel@lessitermedia.com — Fri, 29 May 2026 08:00:00 -0400

As the weather heats up and farmers everywhere get busier, the editorial team and I are getting plans squared away to hit the road and travel to several farms and field days in the coming months.

What Methods Are Farmers Using to Seed Cover Crops?

mvogel@lessitermedia.com — Fri, 29 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

In a recent poll, growers shared insight into the equipment and methods they find most effective for seeding cover crops.

More Livestock Farmers Grazed Cover Crops, Saw Lower Value

lbarrera@lesspub.com — Fri, 29 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Farmers raising livestock & cover crops remained largely consistent in their practices, though there were slight shifts with the species grazed & timing.

Farmers Set New Record for Average Acreage Planted Green, Battled Dry Fall Conditions

lbarrera@lesspub.com — Thu, 28 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Other seeding & termination trends show drones as a seeding tool continued to grow & the type of herbicide used for termination varied by region.

Cover Cropping Costs Climb

lbarrera@lesspub.com — Thu, 28 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Farmers spent more on seed & saw fewer pesticide savings, but thanks to incentive payments, most are not bearing the full brunt of expenses.

2025 Cover Crop Benchmark Study Reveals Latest Trends, Changes & Challenges

lbarrera@lesspub.com — Thu, 28 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Data from the annual survey found that average planting green acres grew to a new record, costs rose & more livestock owners turned to cover crop grazing.

Working-Farm Evidence Brings Commercial Cover Crops into Spotlight

Tue, 26 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

The “how-to” guidance on cover crops is mostly built on agricultural station experiments. That work is valuable, but not always a good mirror of what happens on a busy working farm in-season.

Young Farmer Saves Soil, Crushes Weeds with Strip-Till & Rye

Mon, 18 May 2026 01:00:00 -0400

In Mt. Sterling, Illinois, young farmer Wade Yingling and his dad, Bruce, are capturing success with strip-till and cover crops, with a little vertical tillage mixed in as well.

Tony Peirick Shares his 2026 Planting Season Update

mvogel@lessitermedia.com — Fri, 15 May 2026 08:00:00 -0400

This week I’ve got another update from this year’s Conservation ag Operator Fellow — Wisconsin no-tiller Tony Peirick. Let’s take a listen as he gives us his official 2026 planting season update.

How Do Full-Season Cover Crops Affect Insect Populations?

Mon, 11 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

A 2025 study in eastern Nebraska found higher insect abundance and diversity in cover crop areas compared to adjacent seed corn, including both beneficial species and potential pests.

Spring Is Here: Are You Ready to Fly Your Drone Legally?

Sat, 09 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Spring has arrived and drones are back in the sky. Before you launch, it’s important to make sure you’re operating within the law.

What are YOU Using to Seed Cover Crops? Join the Discussion...

mvogel@lessitermedia.com — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

My question — and the responses that come from it — are going to be used for a story about cover crop seeding methods.

Leading With Experience: Nitrate Reduction Strategies

Sat, 25 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

For me, adoption of some conservation practices took a little nudge from nature.

Researchers Breeding Covers for Targeted Benefits, Specific Environments

lbarrera@lesspub.com — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

From cereal rye with higher levels of weed-controlling allelochemicals to hairy vetch that germinates in the first year, scientists are working to breed better cover crops

Farmer Case Studies on Planting Green & Dealing with Residue

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Dig into this forum for more details on buying and selling cover crop seed, using cover crop mixes for multiple benefits, cover crop seeding rates, methods, and timing.

Weed and Nutrient Management in Cover Crop Systems

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Clay Lowe uses strategic cover crop mixes and termination timing to maximize weed suppression.

Tony Peirick Highlights Importance of Farmer-Led Learning

mvogel@lessitermedia.com — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 08:00:00 -0400

If you haven’t had a chance to dive into this year’s Conservation ag Operator Fellowship series with Wisconsin no-tiller Tony Peirick, now is the time. He and many other growers around the country are making plans to get into the field and plant in the coming weeks.

No-Till, Strip-Till and Cover Crops Research Journal - April 2026

lessitef@lesspub.com — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 12:00:00 -0400

In this edition:

Conservation Agriculture: Helping to Return to Within Planetary Boundaries
Soil Structure Changes Under Reduced Tillage and Cover Cropping Enhance Carbon Mineralization in Mediterranean Croplands
Cover Cropping Increases the Abundance of Mycorrhizal and Endophytic Fungi Structures Associated with Ecosystem Functioning
Conservation Agriculture: A Review of Plant Residue use with Zero Tillage and Crop Rotation
Unlocking Climate Resilience by Exploring the Mitigation Potential of Improved Rotation with Cover Cropping

Farmer Forum Walkthrough of Cover Crop Seeding Practices

Sat, 11 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Dig into this forum for more details on buying and selling cover crop seed, using cover crop mixes for multiple benefits, cover crop seeding rates, methods, and timing.

Educating Landowners About Benefits of Cover Crops, No-Till

mvogel@lessitermedia.com — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 08:00:00 -0400

Last week I visited with Conservation Ag Foundation director and No-Till Innovator alum Mike Starkey on his farm in Brownsburg, Ind. For the second straight year, Starkey was hosting an event where he invited landowners from all over the state to come and learn about no-till and cover crops.

Cover Crop Impact: Forty Years of Less Tillage, More Plants

Sat, 28 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Tiling and cover crops help remediate unproductive saline seeps.

Strip-Till Innovator Experiments with Cover Crops

nnewman@lessitermedia.com — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 01:00:00 -0400

This video comes to us from our good friend Chris Perkins in Otwell, Ind. When Noah Newman visited the Strip-Till Innovator a couple years ago, he wasn’t using cover crops. But Chris is an innovator because he’s always willing to try new things. Fast forward to 2026, he’s giving cover crops a try.

Tony Peirick — Digging in to Cover Crops

mvogel@lessitermedia.com — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 08:00:00 -0400

This year’s No-Till Farmer Conservation Ag Operator Fellow is Watertown, Wis. no-tiller Tony Peirick. Tony has been using cover crops and practicing no-till on his farm for decades. Let’s watch as Tony grabs a shovel from his truck and digs into a field of cover crops to check out the soil structure.

Cover Crops Help Reduce Nitrate Loss

Sat, 14 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

University of Minnesota researchers recently shared findings showing how cover crop management influences success in northern cropping systems.

The Power of Covers

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

"We’re using cover crops to do the cultivation for us now. This year, we’ve got a mix of black oats, radish, vetch and a bit of ryegrass in our overwinter cover. We’ve upped the seed rate and the mix to get a good, thick cover, and it’s doing a fantastic job," says Phil Rowbottom.

No-Till, Strip-Till and Cover Crops Research Journal - March 2026

lessitef@lesspub.com — Wed, 11 Mar 2026 01:00:00 -0400

In this edition:

Sixty years of crop diversification with perennials improves yields more than no-tillage in Ohio grain cropping systems
Conservation Tillage Practices on GHG Emissions, Soil Health and Overall Agricultural Sustainability
Long-term continuous no-till corn-soybean systems: Examining soil carbon sequestration and nitrogen accumulation across various pools
Assessing the agricultural, environmental, and economic effects of crop diversity management: A comprehensive review on crop rotation and cover crop practices
Cover Crops Optimize Soil Fertility and Soybean Productivity in the Cerrado of MATOPIBA, Brazil
Short-term no-tillage improves soil water retention and maintains soil aeration at high moisture conditions despite reduced macroporosity
Tillage Radish as Cover Crop Improves Soil Health Indicators Depending on Pedoclimatic Conditions.

[Video] How 'Shallow Tillage' Can Improve Seedbed Prep, Cover Crop Establishment

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 12:00:00 -0400

Josh Metsker, chief sales and marketing officer for Kelly Tillage, explains how the company's implements can help growers with seedbed preparation, residue management, cover crop establishment and more to improve operational results and efficiency without making a mess of soil structure.

Practical Insights from the Cover Crop Variety Improvement & Seed Production Program

mvogel@lessitermedia.com — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 07:00:00 -0500

In this video, Etienne Sutton, agroecologist for University of Missouri's Center for Regenerative Agriculture shares a preview of what she will talk about during her upcoming presentation at the 2026 National Cover Crop Summit.

How to Manage Cover Crops, Residual Herbicides, and Soil Moisture for Weed Control in the Great Plains

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Two crucial factors are limiting weed control options and pushing no-till farmers in the Central Great Plains into a corner: herbicide resistance and water availability.

Opportunity Knocks for Oats in Minnesota

Sat, 28 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Oats were once a major Minnesota crop, with about 4 million acres planted annually on average until the early 1960s. But in 2025, oats accounted for only 195,000 planted acres in Minnesota, and those oats were used mostly for livestock feed and straw bedding.