Question: After wheat harvest next summer, I plan on planting a cover crop to suppress weeds and produce nitrogen for the next corn crop. What species of plants do you recommend? Our planter setup is row cleaners, double disk openers and spiked closing wheels. Will that need to be changed, or will the current setup be OK?

This is kind of out of my area of expertise as I use oats for my spring cover crop in the waterways, so I'm not sure what the recommended mix would be. Here are some articles you may find useful:

9 Growers Spill Their Secrets for Planting into Cover Crops

Planting Green Into Living Cover Crops Slashes Inputs

No-Tiller Launches Right Into Cover Crops, Planting Green

Video: Tips For Farmers Planting Cover Crops For The First Time

No-Till & Cover Crops Handbook

“Ask the Operator” allows farmers like yourself to ask questions of our Operator Fellow. Jim Leverich has 35-plus years of no-till and on-farm research experience, and possesses a deep, practical understanding of what makes no-till work. Read through past information in our content archive and submit your own questions for our Fellow to answer. Click here if you are having trouble viewing the question submission form.