Cover Crops
By sharing equipment and grazing resources, Tyler Zimmerman and Chris Walberg prove that collaboration is the secret to making soil health practices both practical and profitable for the long term.
In Illinois and Virginia, Frank Rademacher and Paul Davis lean on cereal rye, no-till and patience to keep waterhemp and other tough weeds in check.
The Smith family captures value from cover crops twice—first as high-quality cattle feed and then as biological fuel for no-till corn and soybeans.
As herbicide resistance builds, Extension urges farmers to diversify control tactics and use as many tools as possible this season.
As USDA and HHS rolled out a $700 million regenerative ag pilot, the real story unfolds behind closed doors. Missouri dairy farmers Jon and Brittany Hemme share what they heard and what it means for producers.
Leadership says the new program aims to lower farmer production costs while tipping a hat to Secretary Kennedy’s MAHA initiatives.
The use of regenerative practices at Stoney Creek Farm has lowered their costs and improved their profitability, but its also shaped their faith journey.
After testing thousands of varieties and a decade of trials, a new variety of winter wheat is on its way. Next season, in 2026, South Dakota producers will be able to plant SD Vivan – made with strong resistance to the state’s agronomic challenges.
Planting more cover crops this fall is one way corn and soybean growers are addressing their 2026 nutrient needs and looking to trim expenses in the process.
The Seilers use cover crops and no-till to improve soil health, reduce input costs and improve profitability.
Learn about an Iowa plot trial that is looking at the yield boosting potential of strip cropping corn and cover crops.
Results from a new survey reveal that between 25% and 50% of corn and soybean growers adopt the use of cover crops when their trusted adviser has been planting them, as well.
Prioritizing soil health with cover crops and a diverse crop rotation is allowing Jeff Sather to save on fertilizer, enhance drought resilience and market direct to consumers.
Planning for 2025 means planning for uncertainty — too much water, or too little, high wind, heat, cold and more. While not every scenario is manageable or avoidable, you can build resilience into your crop production systems.
You can’t save your way to prosperity — you need product, and you need to capture the best price.
Progress has been made toward no-till, reduced tillage and cover crop adoption, but one expert says it may not be enough to overcome existing social, financial and technical barriers to adoption
By breaking away from his family’s traditional management practices, Joe Frey was able to not only save money, but also minimize the impacts of drought, heavy rains, wind and hail.
Former Top Producer award winners reveal their management goals for the year ahead.
Cereal rye helps Michigan farmer reduce herbicide-resistant marestail and waterhemp.
Since Lance Dobson’s return to the family farm, he’s added cattle, cereal rye for forage and a seed dealership. “Whether it’s exercising or farming, hopefully diversification in our day will yield results that improve our longevity,” he says.
Planting cover crops is one of the many ways growers can implement conservation practices on the farm, but planting them aerially may provide additional benefits.
Farm Journal Test Plot research proves practices that reduce soil disturbance and sequester carbon perform best in a vertical farming system, as opposed to horizontal tillage, which creates yield-limiting soil layers.
Could new incentives be the tipping point to adoption?
The survey uses records from ag retailers to measure the use of cover crops, nutrient management and conservation tillage and no-till by Iowa growers.
Red clover can fix nitrogen, suppress weeds and improve crop yields. Based on test plot research in Illinois, a good stand of red clover can provide between 50 and 100 pounds of nitrogen per acre.
The team at Heartland Ag Systems offers their advice for keeping fertilizer spreaders running in top shape.
The practice can be useful in some scenarios but not all. Farmers need to evaluate the potential impact on 2024 yield outcomes. Perhaps a bigger concern is how the practice impacts weed management, especially waterhemp.