A cover crop of quick growing cereal rye can keep the soil in place over winter’s brown and blowing days. Its long roots soak up excess spring rains, and its straw helps block weeds.
For the past two years, we have been participating in a multi-regional U.S. Soybean Board funded experiment that is investigating the effects of planting green on no-till soybean production and management of multiple-resistant waterhemp populations.
Overall, planting green had many benefits. It doubled the cereal rye biomass because it was able to live longer. While it resulted in drier soil at planting, planting green saved soil moisture later in the season and kept the soil cooler.
How much cover crops cost to implement and whether they can make you money is a subject of heated debate. Costs are obvious: seed, time and fuel to plant and terminate them. Read more in this article from University of Minnesota Extension.
In both wet spring weather and drought conditions, the timing of cover crop termination can have a big impact on soil moisture levels, according to Purdue University.
Experts at Kansas State University Extension review important considerations and guidelines for terminating cover crops properly, including NRCS rules and challenges that can be posted by herbicide programs.
Here are the latest guidelines on cover crop termination from the NRCS — for crops planted in the 2020 crop year and later — for growers who are utilizing crop insurance.
A press release from USDA explains how the 2018 Farm Bill mandated changes to the treatment of cover crops, including adding more flexibility to when cover crops must be terminated while remaining eligible for crop insurance.
Fourth generation farmer Derek Van De Hey and his family may not become millionaires overnight, but over the long haul they expect their switch to a 100% no-till, cover crop system will save them nearly that amount, or possibly more.
By relying on good farm data to improve their operation, Rick Clark and family are capitalizing on the non-GMO crop market while cutting costs, building soil health and stabilizing yields.
Yield doesn’t drive Rick Clark’s no-till system. Instead, the fifth generation no-tiller intensely focuses on building soil health as the driver of his family’s 7,000-acre operation near Williamsport, Ind.
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On this episode of Conservation Ag Update, brought to you by Titan International, a big piece of equipment is unveiled at the Kinze Product Innovation Day in Williamsburg, Iowa.
We have engineered and developed the most advanced concave system that threshes all crops, eliminates rotor loss, improves grain quality, gives you a cleaner sample – all with one set of XPR concaves.
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