A four-year University of Nebraska cover crop research project is exploring whether winter cover cropping in no-till corn and soybean systems can benefit soil quality despite their short growing season.

Eric Eberhard of Eberhard Farms in Bellevue, Ohio, talks about the cover-crop program they’ve implemented on 100% of their no-till farm. He explains why they prefer to use Austrian winter peas before corn, the benefits of ‘planting green’ and terminating the cover later, and the changes they’ve seen in terms of water infiltration, yield and earthworm populations.

South Dakota State University Extension shares what was learned at a recent field day about soil aggregates and soil structure, and the influence they have on water quality.

Learn valuable information about water infiltration and ground cover by watching this video of University of Nebraska ag engineer Paul Jasa and see the results of this rainfall simulator at work.

It's only been 2 years since first-generation Wyoming farmer Richard Klein and his son, Garrett, stepped into the no-till arena. While they're not ready to confirm any major soil or crop improvements as a result, they like the way no-till and cover crops are impacting their soils.