In the second part of a two-part series on this topic, Holtwood, Pa., farmer and Cover Crop Coach Steve Groff will discuss management decisions for rolling with or without using herbicides, the weed-control potential of rolled covers, using cover crop mixes in this type of system, and how to evaluate whether your planter can work effectively in rolled covers. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)

In this episode of the <em>Cover Crop Strategies</em> podcast, we share a Q&A interview with senior editor John Dobberstein and Rob Myers, regional director of extension programs for Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE).

In the first part of a two-part series on this topic, the Holtwood, Pa., farmer and cover crop coach will discuss some strategies for succeeding with a roller-crimper system, including what realistic expectations should be for results, which cover crop species are best to roll and proper seeding rates.

Many growers avoid planting corn into fields where cereal rye has been seeded over fears that allelopathic issues from decomposing rye will stunt corn growth and ding yields. But Steve Groff believes allelopathy is often misdiagnosed and yellow corn could be related to other management issues.

Herbicides can be tricky to work around when cover crops are included in the rotation. So, how can you ensure you're maximizing the effectiveness of cover crops when herbicides are involved in your farming system?

In this podcast Cover Crop Coach Steve Groff will lead a discussion that defines what arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) is, what it does for plant growth, and the factors that discourage or encourage AMF — including what cover crop species are hosts and those that are not.

In this podcast the Holtwood, Pa., grower and Cover Crop Coach will discuss many factors that affect winter hardiness ratings, including planting date, temperatures, snow cover, wind chill, freeze-thaw cycles and more.

It’s often been said “You can’t manage what you don’t measure.” But developing a reliable process to research the benefits and effects of cover crops on the farm, and produce information that is useful, can be a challenge for some growers.

Slugs can be the worst enemy for growers utilizing no-till practices and cover crops in certain regions of the U.S. as the creatures thrive in potentially cool, wet conditions as cash crops emerge.&nbsp;(Courtesy of&nbsp;<a href="http://www.covercropinnovators.com/" target="_blank">Cover Crop Innovators</a>)

Unfortunately there are some years when fields just don't get planted to a cash crop. But this can open up an opportunity to plant a wide range of species of cover crops to make soils more productive in the future, says Steve Groff. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)