Cover Crops
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.
The shift to El Nino brings several changes to the upcoming winter.
The National Cover Crop Survey sheds light on the various benefits.
Eighty percent of U.S. growers participating in the 2022-23 National Cover Crop Survey report trying cover crops. Two Indiana farmers share what they’ve learned along the way and some recommendations.