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Learning about the benefits of planting cover crops.

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Jan 20 2023

Planting Cover Crops: Vertical Tillage vs. Air Drill

Vertical tillage tool on left; air drill on right. Fall planted cover crop. Fall 2022 in northern Ohio. Click on picture to enlarge.

Cli

Written by Mark · Categorized: Cover Crop Application Method · Tagged: Air Drill, Vertical Tillage Tool

Oct 28 2022

Calibrating Seeder for Multi-Species Cover Crop Mix

Written by Dustin Johnson · Categorized: Seeding Mult-Species Cover Crop Mix, Seeding Rates · Tagged: planting multi-species cover crop mix

Dec 23 2021

Late Planted Cover Crop Evaluation

I toured my fields on Friday, December 17, to document the results of cover crops planted in rather desperate conditions back in the fall. The purpose of the video is to show that even late, poorly planted cover crops are doing some good if one takes the time to look at ground level. My experiences this fall were also a good case study of seed-to-soil contact. Creative methods we used to get good contact in the mud paid off when compared to broadcasting.

Written by Dustin Johnson · Categorized: Cover Crop Benefits · Tagged: late fall-planted cover crops, Wheat

Nov 08 2021

Buckwheat as Nurse Crop for Clover

by Dustin Johnson

If I were to make a list of underutilized crops in American agriculture, buckwheat would be near the top. Buckwheat is a short-season broadleaf grain crop that is very easy to grow and can thrive in hot and dry conditions. As a cover crop, it is renowned for its ability to mineralize phosphorus from the soil as well as provide late-season pollinator habitat.

Buckwheat as a Nurse Crop

I planted buckwheat for a third use this summer – as a nurse crop for clover seeded after an organic winter wheat crop.

After harvesting wheat and straw in July, I left the ground fallow and controlled weeds with light tillage. I waited to plant my cover crop until daily 90 degree temperatures and drought finally eased on September 3rd.

The Final Mix

  • 10 lbs Buckwheat – nurse crop/cover crop
  • 10 lbs Cossaque black oats – nurse crop/cover crop
  • 2 lbs Fixation balansa clover – N fixation
  • 4 lbs Villana hairy vetch – N fixation
  • 4 lbs AU Robin crimson clover – N fixation
  • 2 lbs Peredovik sunflower – diversity

The buckwheat really impressed me as a nurse crop. It was the first seed to germinate and very quickly provided a moderate canopy over the entire field. Three weeks after planting it looked like an entire field of buckwheat!

This shading suppressed grass weeds like foxtail, but still provided enough light to let the clovers establish. Without the shading effect of buckwheat, the clover could not have competed with grass weeds that are better adapted to late summer growth.

In early October the buckwheat set seed and completed its lifecycle. The leaves have dried up and a freeze will soon stop any lingering growth.

The baton was passed from the buckwheat to the clover, which was by then poised to take full advantage of the late-season sun. Buckwheat proved to be an outstanding nurse crop for summer planted clover.

The only areas of the field where foxtail gained the upper hand were areas that did not grow a good stand of buckwheat. This was mostly in combine tracks and under the straw windrows. See the picture below.

The final stand of balansa clover, hairy vetch, and crimson clover is very important on this field. It will be the primary source of nitrogen for next year’s crop of organic corn. I will provide an update on this field and expand on the role of each legume in this mix when growth resumes in the spring.

Written by Dustin Johnson · Categorized: Cover Crop Benefits · Tagged: buckwheat, clover

Dec 28 2020

Benefits of a Pure Stand of Cover Crop Red Clover

December 28, 2020

by Dustin Johnson

I recently plowed under a successful stand of red clover in an organic wheat field on my farm near Kokomo, Indiana. I have grown alfalfa and mixed stands of hay as a cash crop for my entire career. Five years ago we began experimenting with organic grain production to try something new and take advantage of the synergies between organic grain farming and our existing hay business.

This was my first experience growing a pure stand of red clover. The main goal for the stand was nitrogen fixation for next year’s organic corn crop.

Along the way, I also gained a forage harvest, weed suppression, and soil health benefits. Please read further for a more in-depth discussion of my experience and the benefits that this time-proven practice can bring to your farm.

FROST SEEDING

On February 21st, I broadcasted 15 lbs/acre of red clover seed into my dormant wheat field. Frost seeding should take place near the end of winter when a period of nightly freezing and thawing is anticipated. The ground was frozen enough to hold up the tractor and the field contained a light dusting of snow. This helped me see the spread pattern of the clover seed.

Red clover is my personal first-choice when frost seeding: The seed is relatively inexpensive, clover can thrive underneath a crop canopy, it can be harvested for dry hay, and it works! Red clover seeds are heavy and round with a high level of seedling vigor. They naturally sort through material on top of the soil and fall into the “honeycomb” of soil cracks created by frost. This is the same process by which red clover stands naturally persist on road sides and barn lots.

If grazing is your primary goal, plant an improved species such as Bearcat or Gallant. White and berseem clover can also be successfully frost seeded for forage use. If you plan to exclusively grow it as a cover crop, sweetclover and mammoth red clover are also good choices.

Around the time my wheat broke dormancy, the red clover seedlings emerged. The frost seeded clover scavenged sunlight that filtered through the rows of wheat, but grew more slowly than the wheat and stayed beneath the wheat canopy. The presence of red clover in the wheat field did not interfere with the wheat’s ability to grow or be harvested. From the road, the wheat looked like a normal wheat field. Only after harvest was a carpet of green growing clover revealed.

FORAGE HARVEST

Once the wheat was harvested and the canopy opened to the red clover, it grew very quickly. I mowed the red clover for hay about a month after wheat harvest on August 19th. The clover was nearing full-bloom and the weather was right. The hay was mostly red clover, but also contained a few weeds and about 4” of wheat stubble. This medium-quality hay was the most fragrant, sweet-smelling hay that I have ever baled! Yield was also impressive: 2.3 dry tons/acre in a single harvest. Even priced modestly, this hay harvest was a significant boost to the profitability of my wheat crop.

COVER CROP VALUE

After taking a cutting of hay in August, I let the summer regrowth accumulate for a green manure to plow down. The regrowth was vigorous and thick. Weeds that had been present in the growing wheat were mowed before going to seed by the wheat and hay harvests. Newly germinated weeds could not compete with the established red clover. This certified organic field was nearly weed-free in late summer.

The clover bloomed again in September and was a haven for wildlife and pollinators.

In early December, I moldboard plowed this land and the red clover again showed its value. The clover was still actively growing and removing water from the soil. Areas of the field that did not have a good stand of clover were noticeably wetter. The clover taproots penetrated the plowing depth and prevented the wetter clay soils from “slabbing.” The pictures below show the loose friable soil created by the clover roots compared to an area of shallow-rooted grass sod plowed at the field edge.

Note the difference in the above plowed soil (with clover) vs. the soil below (no clover).

Those same roots will provide a soil health benefit below the plow layer as well. The clover taproots penetrated the soil much deeper than the plowing depth. The roots will help prevent a plow pan from holding water when they decompose this winter and drainage occurs in the old root channels.

The red clover has now begun to decompose within the soil profile and will be releasing nitrogen for my organic corn crop next spring. University sources estimate that a successful stand of red clover that is terminated after blooming can release 70 to 120 lbs of N per acre.

Now is the time to make preparations for frost seeding clover on your farm. Whether your goal is nitrogen fixation, improved pasture quality, or soil health, frost seeding clover this winter is an easy and cost-effective way to achieve big results.

Written by Dustin Johnson · Categorized: Cover Crop Benefits, Frost Seeding, Nitrogen from Cover Crops, Red Clover, Weed Suppression · Tagged: frost seeding, organic farming, red clover

Nov 03 2020

An Excellent Cover Crop Mix Ahead of Corn

The mix pictured above is Nutribuilder Mix. It’s a three way mix of annual ryegrass, clover, and radishes.

This field was planted on August 18 at 25 pounds per acre. The included pictures were taken on October 30. The plan is to plant this field into corn next year.

The growth in this field shows the importance of a timely planting date. This is especially important for the radishes, since they will winterkill – and the farmer will want maximum benefit from them before they die.

Benefits

Each component in this mix will enhance the performance of the soil and improve the productivity of the following year’s crop. And of course, the long-term benefits associated with the ongoing use of cover crops are hard to quantify.

But what are some specific things to expect from each of these components?

Annual ryegrass

Annual ryegrass provides one of the best cost-to-benefit ratios of any cover crop, maybe the best. It’s inexpensive, versatile in application (aerial, broadcast, drill), and provides tremendous value to the soil. Annual ryegrass breaks up compaction, allowing better water infiltration. The depth of the roots provide access to parts of the soil previously unavailable to the cash crop. The fibrous root system near the soil surface helps prevent erosion. Annual ryegrass is an excellent scavenger of leftover nutrients, holding them for use later in the growing season.

Crimson clover

Crimson clover is an excellent choice for building nutrition into the soil. If you’re looking to build nitrogen for your cash crop, crimson clover provides that service. Since it will survive the winter, it will provide biomass as well. The crimson clover will also help the annual ryegrass and radishes to grow bigger and provide more benefit to the soil as well, as demonstrated by this video.

Radish

Cover crop radishes have been the super stars of the cover crop world. Their benefits have been noted over the years. They:

  • scavenge nutrients from the soil (especially nitrogen).
  • penetrate the soil, therefore reducing compaction.
  • enhance soil percolation and aeration.
  • provide an excellent environment for earthworms.
  • provide deer and cattle an excellent wintertime feed.
  • die in the winter.

Conclusion

Taking all of this information into consideration, this type of mix is an excellent choice to plant in the fall before planting corn the following spring. Keep in mind that only the radish will winterkill, so you will need a plan to terminate both the annual ryegrass and the crimson clover.

Written by Mark · Categorized: Cover Crop Benefits · Tagged: Annual Ryegrass, cover crops, crimson cloer, Radish

Mar 27 2014

New articles out on Cover Crops in the Upper Midwest

During the week of March 18-21 I spoke at the Legacy Seeds Cover Crop Meetings to over 150 people in three Wisconsin towns

Appin Turnips make an outstanding cover crop and forage crop too!
Appin Turnips make an outstanding cover crop and forage crop too.

about cover crops.  During each meeting I showed why folks should consider using cover crops (erosion control, nutrient management, compaction reduction, aeration/infiltration, etc…).  I also implored producers to be creative about applying cover crops (aerial application, Hi-boy type spreaders, maybe interseeding into short corn, etc…).  Lastly I showed how many farmers are reporting increased profitability by using  cover crops.

Many farmers attending the meetings had at least some experience with cover crops and those that talked to me personally had very good experiences.  It was fun to talk to farmers that are excited about both soil health and profitability.

At the meeting in Sparta, Agri-View Newspaper Crops Editor, Jane Fyksen was present and taking notes for a story she was writing for the publication.  Jane did a great job in her reporting of what I said.  I want to share those articles with you.  The first article is entitled “Finding a cover crop mix to fit every need” and the second one is entitled “Aerial and overseeding of cover crops: Making it work“.

I have conducted over 40 cover crop talks this year from Omaha to Ontario and from Syracuse, NY to Chippewa Falls, WI.  I am amazed how far this cover cropping idea has come.  I am also very excited to see what will happen in another 8-10 years.

I cannot wait for warmer temperatures so we can see what cover crops survived this past record setting-cold winter.
I cannot wait for warmer temperatures so we can see what cover crops survived this past record setting-cold winter.

 

 

 

 

Written by Dave Robison · Categorized: Aerial Application, Cover Crop Benefits, Cover Crop Meetings, Cover Crops in the Northland, Cover Crops in Wisconsin, Soil Improvement, Stand Establishment Following Cover Crops · Tagged: aerial application of cover crops, aerial application of cover crops into soybeans, Agri-View, Appin Turnips, cover crops, Cover Crops enhance profitability, EarthBuilder Cover Crops, Jane Fyksen, Midwest Cover Crop Council, PileDriver Radish

Feb 28 2014

Broadcast Recording Available from National Cover Crops Conference

Folks,
I was privileged to attend and also speak at this conference.  Please take some time to look in on the many awesome presentations that were presented in Omaha.  Dave
Broadcast Recording Available from National Cover Crops Conference

 

To meet some of today’s biggest challenges in agriculture, including rising food demand, a shrinking land base and climate change, farmers should be encouraged to adopt a holistic approach to enriching their most valuable resource – the soil – according to a panel of experts who helped open last week’s National Conference on Cover Crops and Soil Health.

 

“Cover crops to me are just the next natural step in trying to have a broader system, and I think the single biggest issue we have as farmers in this country is we don’t farm with a system in mind,” said panelist Howard G. Buffett, a philanthropist and Illinois farmer.

 

To learn more, watch a recording of opening sessions from the National Conference on Cover Crops and Soil Health, held Feb. 17 – 19 in Omaha, Neb. Joining the 300 farmers, scientists, and industry and government representatives who met in Omaha, approximately 6,000 others participated by gathering at more than 200 local soil health forums nationwide, where this recording was broadcasted live.

 

Also available online are presentations from breakout sessions and 10 short videos of innovative farmers describing their use of cover crops.

 

Conference organizers are developing a formal list of recommended actions to increase cover crop adoption based on discussions at the conference and local forums. To see it when it becomes available, keep an eye on www.sare.org/covercropsconference or join SARE’s mailing list.

 

The conference recording features a discussion of how cover crops can improve soil health and the major barriers to their increased adoption, and was led by Buffett and fellow panelists Jason Weller, chief of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Ray Gaesser, Iowa farmer and American Soybean Association president. Following them is a panel of farmers who are pioneers in the use of cover crops, no-till and other soil management practices.

 

Conference speakers addressed a wide range of ongoing challenges to cover crop adoption, including the need for more specialized seeding equipment, more advocacy by farmer leaders, more research on their economic benefits, and changes to insurance and conservation programs that better encourage their use.


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Written by Dave Robison · Categorized: Cover Crop Meetings, Online Training Seminars · Tagged: Cover Crop Benefits, cover crop meetings, cover crop presentations, cover crops, Howard G. Buffett, Midwest Cover Crop Council, National Conference on Cover Crops & Soil Health, SARE

Feb 23 2014

Cover Crops- It is Amazing how much interest there is these days!

It is amazing how much interest there is in cover cropping these days!

Sarah Carlson from Practical Farmers of Iowa and I were discussing this fact in Omaha, NE earlier this week.  To think that there would be a conference like we attended in Omaha was almost a “dream” when we were attending some of the first Midwest Cover Crop Council Meetings less than 10 years ago.  Many thanks to Eileen Kladivko, Dale Mutch, Dean Baas, Tom Kaspar, Anne Verhallen, Alan Sundermeier, and others who set the pace and path and vision for sharing and researching the benefits of cover cropping.

Dave Robison
I had the privilege of speaking to over 1,000 farmers at the National No-Till Conference in Springfield, IL in January 2014. Being a long-time no-tiller; this was a highlight of my career.

So, where am I these days?  (kind of like “Where’s Waldo?)  Over the past seven weeks I have  spoken in many states (NY, OH, WI, NE, MI, etc…) and at Ridgetown, Ontario.  I have spoken to well over 2,000 producers these past 50 days.  I keep telling my wife I’ll check in as often as possible and I try to keep the kids aware of where I am and where I am going (I use this as great geography lessons!).  The interest in cover cropping is astounding.  I am excited to see so many producers that are using cover crops are excited about what they are doing…I am 100% confident this is NOT a fad.

I have a few more cover crop meetings to add that you might find very interesting.

On March 5 at 10AM I am speaking at the Yahara Pride Farms 2014 Watershed-Wide Conference: Building on our Progress at  Lake Windsor Golf Club  4628 Golf Road, Windsor, WI 53598  For more information contact: rachel@yaharapridefarms.org; 608-255-6329 ;  www.yaharapridefarms.org.

Starting on March 6 the American Society of Agronomy is conducting a number of Cover Crop webinars.  The speakers on the presentations are among the “who’s-who” in cover cropping research and practice.  Please register and watch these free webinars!

On March 13 I will be speaking at the Bay County  Soil Conservation District’s Soil Health and Cover Crop Meeting in Pinconning, MI.  This meeting involves some excellent speakers on soil health and also on local cover crop research.

Also in Wisconsin I am speaking at three Legacy Seeds Cover Crop Seminars.  Please contact the folks at Legacy Seeds at karen@legacyseeds.com to preregister.  Registrations starts at 9:30 and the meetings start at 10 AM.  Early order “discounts” will be available.  Lunch will be served at each location.

March 18 at  Jakes Northwoods 1132 Angelo Rd. Sparta, WI  608-269-5010

March 19 at the Eagles Club 2588 hwy. 53 Chippewa Falls, WI 54729 715-723-0172

March 20 at  Cobblestone Creek Dining and Banquet Center 740 West Ryan St. Brillion, WI 54110 920-756-3214

On April 1 Winnebago Soil & Water Conservation District and AgTech are sponsoring a Cover Crop Workshop in Durand, IL.  I am honored to speak at this event.  There is an optional field tour after lunch.  Preregister by 3-25-14.

On May 9 There is a Soil Health Field Day – Sponsored by Catawba SWCD in Newton, North Carolina.  I will not be attending this meeting but it sure sounds like a great day!   Thanks to Russell Hedrick for passing this along.

Also, sometime in April – Robison Farms (my brother Don and I along with mom and dad) hope to host a field day at our Greenwood, IN farm where we have 5 acres of replicated cover crop research.  More details will follow soon on this.

These are exciting times in Agriculture.  Remember to be thankful for those who have come before us and for those who share their knowledge and vision with us.  More importantly share your vision and knowledge with others.  Most importantly, be thankful to the God of Creation who gives us the responsibility to care for His creation.

 

Dave

 

 

Written by Dave Robison · Categorized: Cover Crop Meetings, Cover Crop Research, Field Days, Midwest Cover Crops Council, Online Training Seminars, Webinars · Tagged: cover crop meetings, Midwest Cover Crop Council, no-till farmer, Practical farmers of Iowa, Robison Farms

Dec 18 2013

Cover Crop Meetings Winter 2014

It’s been a while since I have posted on here as I have been quite busy speaking about cover crops at a number of venues.  Over the Winter of 2014 I will be speaking at a number of conferences.  If you are in the area of any of these meetings please stop by and introduce yourself to me; I’d love to hear your cover crop stories.

Here is a partial list of many of the meetings I will be speaking at:

January 7-8, 2014  – Southwest Ag Conference – Ridgetown, Ontario  http://www.southwestagconference.ca/

January 9-10, 2014 – Mid-Ohio Growers Meeting  Buckeye Event Center, Dalton, Ohio http://midohiogrowers.com/schedule

January 16-17, 2014  – National No-Till Conference –Springfield, IL http://www.no-tillfarmer.com/

January 18, 2014  – Corn Belt Cow-Calf Conference Ottumwa, Iowa “Using Cover Crops to Boost Profitability in Your Operation” and “Baleage—Making & Utilizing Higher Quality Hay”   http://www.extension.iastate.edu/article/2014-cornbelt-cow-calf-conference-focuses-profitable-expansion

January 22, 2014  – Empire State Producers EXPO, Syracuse, New York “Can cover crops benefit vegetable fields? YES!” –  http://cvp.cce.cornell.edu/event.php?id=53

January 28, 2014 – Conservation Cropping Seminar , Mendota, IL 2014Mendota Agenda Contact Marty McManus -visit www.ccswcd.com to register ($20)

February 6, 2014 – Wisconsin Corn/Soy Expo, Kalahari Conference Center, Wisconsin Dells https://www.cornsoyexpo.org/

February 18-19, 2014  – National Conference on Cover Crops and Soil Health – Harvesting the Potential ,Omaha, NE https://sites.google.com/a/swcs.org/2014-omaha-cover-crops-conference/keynote-and-breakout-descriptions

Written by Dave Robison · Categorized: Cover Crop Meetings, Education · Tagged: cover crop meetings, cover crops, cover crops and profitability

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