In the last 100 years, many producers have become specialized and highly efficient at producing specific crops or livestock. This has helped to meet demand as the global population continues to grow. Find out how cover crops fit into a crop system with livestock.

From rain to snow, the harvest season has seen its fair share of delays across the Midwest. Cover crop applications have been progressing, and with aerial applications wrapping up in many areas, Justin King, a resource conservationist with the Illinois NRCS, said seeding has been a little more challenging this year. Read more in this article from the Rock Island Dispatch-Argus.

A wet summer and late start to silage harvest likely cut into cover crop production this year. Patrick Wall, Iowa State University Extension beef specialist based in Knoxville, Iowa, says grazing availability will likely depend on planting dates. Read more in this article from KMA Radio.

Planting cover crops and returning crop residues (stover) to the soil both add nutrients and improve overall soil quality. These practices are common with producers across the Midwest and have been recently studied by researchers to identify how they impact the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

For the last several years, many farmers have been adopting practices to improve the “soil health” of their fields. Often this includes no-till or reduced tillage, and the introduction of cover crops. While the basic soil health concept is relatively uniform, the way the practices are implemented is often very different from operation to operation. Read more in this article from Ohio's Country Journal.

Land use changes, nutrient depletion, and drought can make plant roots grow deeper into the soil. But scientists question how that growth affects carbon in the soil.

Would it sound too good to be true if I was to say that there was a simple, profitable and underused agricultural method to help feed everybody, cool the planet, and revitalize rural America? I used to think so, until I started visiting farmers who are restoring fertility to their land, stashing a lot of carbon in their soil, and returning healthy profitability to family farms. Read more in this article from Yes magazine.

Mitchell Hora grows corn and soybeans in Washington County on a farm his family has owned for 115 years. He started planting cover crops four years ago and just recently started seeing economic progress after losing $100 an acre in his first year. Read more in this article from The Daily Iowan.