Plant Cover Crops

Learning about the benefits of planting cover crops.

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Advanced Ag Solutions: No-Till Innovators

Helping Professional Farmers Grow Their Business

Optimizer Advertisement from BlogAdvanced Ag Solutions is passionate not just about farming, but farming well. Daryl Starr, owner and operator, founded this business with the idea of taking what he had learned on his family farm, advancing those concepts, and then applying his knowledge to other like-minded farmers. His system revolves around intensive agronomic data management.

And along the way he has become a great friend to no-tillers and cover croppers alike.  Daryl was actually the first person to guest-post on this blog. In that article, he shared  a strategy of mapping cover crops. With his innovation, it’s not surprising that Daryl was recently honored at the 2013 National No-Till Conference with the “No-Till Innovator’s Award.”

Here is the excerpt from No-Till Farmer:

Daryl Starr of Advanced Ag Solutions LLC in Lafayette, Ind., was first introduced to no-till when his father converted to a continuous no-till system in the early 1990s.

Starr consults for clients on about 350,000 acres, half of which are committed to a continuous no-till system and most have at least some no-till or conservation-till in their operations.

The business was founded in 2006 and targets high-tech, no-till farmers as clients. Starr focuses on gathering data to help clients continuously improve their operations, and 90 percent of the research conducted is from on-farm research in no-till systems. He won the Precision Ag Entrepreneur of the Year in 2012 and earned the River Friendly Farmer Award while farming with his father. Looking to the future, Starr has plans to expand his partnerships by looking for advisors in other geographies interested in collaborating to enhance no-till systems.

I’ve spoken at some of Advanced Ag Solutions networking meetings about the value of cover crops. What I’ve noticed most is their passion for soil health and best management practices.

Daryl is not only my first guest-blogger, he’s also my first blog sponsor. You can see his Optimizer ad on the far right sidebar. Feel free to click through out the services Daryl offers.

Below is a photo of Daryl receiving his award. Congratulations and THANKS to Advanced Ag Solutions!

Daryl Starr
Daryl Starr from Advanced Ag Solutions receiving the Ag Innovators Award at the 2013 National No-Till Farmer Conference in Indianapolis, IN. (photo courtesy of No-Till Farmer)

 

You can also catch up with Advanced Ag Solutions on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Linked In.

Be Aware of Dormant Seed in Cover Crops

As Oregon and other west coast farmers try to keep up with the demand of getting seed back to the Midwest from their newly harvested crops, we are beginning to see some potential issues with just-harvested seed.

In the past, supply was usually greater than demand at harvest time. However, seed companies and farmers now have been clamoring for the seed…it seems from right out of the combine in Oregon!  In some ways this is very exciting, but in other ways it’s challenging.

One of the the bigger challenges outside of logistics is seed dormancy.  In the following few paragraphs we will look at two species that seem to have risen to the top of the heap when looking at seed dormancy issues.

Seed Dormancy Issues

Radishes

Here are just the few events I’ve personally witnessed with radishes:

  • In the fall of 2010 I saw pictures of big radishes in dry beans in the thumb of Michigan.
  • In May of 2011 I saw pictures of radishes 15″ tall (as tall as the corn).
  • In the spring of 2012 I saw radishes coming in the corn at our family farm.
  • In the fall of 2012 I saw radishes and annual ryegrass coming up from seed that was planted in September 2011.

How do these events happen?  I know that for sure the weed control on our home farm was “excellent” all season long and that there was a “follow-up” herbicide application to make sure that there was outstanding weed control.  However, there they were!  We had BIG radishes in the soybeans at harvest time.

Beans are ready for harvest but radishes can create a headache if not controlled with season long scouting.
Beans are ready for harvest but radishes can create a headache if not controlled with season long scouting.
How would you like these running through your bean head? Me neither. Thankfully they did not cause any issues but we need to be watchful and use full season herbicides if we don’t want to ever see this.

How could these radishes be in the soybeans?

Radishes have a small percentage of “hard” or “dormant” seed.  Usually 4-5% of what is sown will not germinate right away, but will instead come up at a later time, from 1 season to 50 seasons later.  While this will rarely ever cause problems, we need to be aware of it.  The 2012 drought, combined with the heat and later rains, proved to be a great environment for radishes to start growing in August.  By harvest time in October we had very big radishes.

Be sure to talk to your seed supplier about when your radish seed was harvested. You will possibly have less issues with radishes that were harvested the previous summer instead of the previous few weeks.

These radishes were easily killed with the second spray of the season. However, I wish that the initial residual herbicides had controlled them as we anticipated they would have.
These radishes were easily killed with the second spray of the season. However, I wish that the initial residual herbicides had controlled them as we anticipated they would have.

Annual Ryegrass

Annual ryegrass gets a lot of hype and also a lot of guff.  I’m not sure which one bothers me the most.

Annual ryegrass has many outstanding qualities as well as some challenges.  Dormant seed is one of those challenges.  Annual ryegrass needs to “cure” for a time – or to dry fairly thoroughly for its germination to be consistent – the 90-95% that we expect and appreciate.

However, when we go from “combine to airplane or drill” in a very quick time period we are “rushing” the seed so fast that some of it lays dormant for a time.  How long?  Maybe a few months or maybe a year.  On our home farm we had an outstanding kill on our annual ryegrass (and everything else).  Yes, it took two applications to accomplish that but we were very well pleased with the kill on our cover crops.  And we were thrilled with the results!

However, when we were looking at our corn plots in August I gave the “uh-oh” to Hans Kok, Dan Towery, and my brother Don Robison.  As in “uh-oh, we have annual ryegrass coming up.”  In this case it was not a big deal because it didn’t bother the corn harvest and we’re planting soybeans in the spring.  But, what if we were going to wheat?  We would have sprayed and killed the young seedlings if we noticed them becoming a problem.

In the middle of August we were seeing annual ryegrass and radishes coming up that had been SOWN THE PREVIOUS SEPTEMBER!
By November we had vigorous growth and a thicker stand than we had the year that the cover crops were actually sown.

There is no doubt that cover crops are a valuable tool.  But with the demand for cover crop seed, I think we will have issues that some of us never dreamed of –  in addition to the benefits that are beyond our imagination.

To achieve the best possible benefit and profitability we need to manage well.  The cover crops that came back into our corn should be of great benefit to next year’s soybean crop – even though we didn’t plant them in the fall of 2012, but rather in the fall of 2011, a year earlier!

So should we NOT use annual ryegrass or radishes?

Of course we should use them. They are outstanding species for cover cropping.

Should we buy seed a year in advance?

That is probably not feasible for most farmers and you surely need a rodent proof storage area!  And good luck finding enough “extra” seed.

Manage Well

Since we’re learning that cover crops increase profitability on the farm, our focus needs to be on proper management. Very simply, use a long-lasting residual herbicide, scout and spray as needed, and be aware that some cover crops species have dormancy issues.  If you are going to follow with wheat, be sure to apply herbicides that kill annual ryegrass in the fall so the annual ryegrass  does not live and cause issues in the wheat the following summer.

It all comes down to managing your cover crop well.  Most farmers have few if any problems, but stay alert. You must be on guard to achieve the greatest benefit from your cover crops.

Midwest Cover Crops Council Annual Meeting Set

Registration information and a tentative schedule have been released for the upcoming Midwest Cover Crops CouncilCover Crops meeting, February 28-March 1, 2013, in London, Ontario.

The first day of the meeting, titled “Making Sen$e with Cover Crops,” is targeted toward producers interested in learning more about how to successfully incorporate cover crops into their rotation, and features a panel of current cover crop users.

The second day is devoted to state/province reports and strategic planning for the MCCC.

For details and a copy of the brochure visit: http://www.mccc.msu.edu/MCCCmeeting.html

Please plan to register by February 22nd.

 

 

Midwest Cover Crops Council Awarded at National No-till Conference

Below is an exciting announcement from Dr. Eileen Kladivko (Purdue) from the Midwest Cover Crops Council:

Fellow MCCC members,

The National No-Till Conference, held this past week in Indianapolis, awarded the MCCC with the No-Till Innovator Award for the Organization category!  Accepting the award on behalf of the MCCC and the Executive Committee, were Dale Mutch and Eileen Kladivko.  The beautiful framed print even included the farmer holding a copy of the Cover Crops pocket guide!  The print will be displayed somewhere at our MCCC “headquarters” at KBS, where Dale Mutch and colleagues will be able to enjoy it and use it as a focal point for discussions of what MCCC is doing and what we’d like to do in the future.

Thanks to Randall Reeder from Ohio State, for taking this photo and sharing it with us.

Remember, our next annual meeting is coming up soon!  Anne Verhallen will be sending details shortly, but the meeting is Thursday-Friday, Feb 28-March 1, in London, Ontario.  You’ll want to travel on Wed, for the full day of talks on Thursday, and then state/province reports and some discussions on Friday.  We’ll be done by 3pm on Friday March 1.

Midwest Cover Crop Council Award at 2013 National No-till Conference

Eileen J. Kladivko, Professor

Agronomy Dept., Lilly Hall, Purdue University

 

Congratulations MCCC!  This is an honor well deserved!

Cover Crop Survey

Here is a survey link for U.S. farmers who have grown cover crops in recent years.  This is a survey sponsored by the USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program and being carried out by the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC).  This survey about cover crops is brief and can be completed online in 5-10 minutes.  Farmers who fill out the survey by March 15th will be eligible for a random drawing to receive a $100 cash gift card from CTIC or the SARE cover crops book.  The link to the survey is: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CTICCoverCropSARE

 

Individuals with questions about the survey can contact Chad Watts with CTIC (email: watts@ctic.org) or Rob Myers with SARE (email: myersrob@missouri.edu).

2012.10.24 Radish and Peas Stueben County IN

Are Cover Crops Profitable to the Farmer?

Establishing the row crop into a cover crop is vital for success. Very rarely do I see this as a problem as farmers do a great job of "precision planting" corn and soybeans.
Establishing the row crop into a cover crop is vital for success. Very rarely do I see this as a problem as farmers do a great job of “precision planting” corn and soybeans.

Cover Crops: Will I Get a Return on Investment

Over the past two months my brother Don Robison and I have had opportunities in Indiana, Iowa, and Wisconsin to share a presentation entitled “Return On Investment from Cover Crops.”  I will do the same in Ontario and Michigan over the next few weeks.

Sarah Carlson from Practical Farmers of Iowa told me that after Joel Gruver and I spoke in Iowa that farmers were leaving the presentation room excited and ready to plant more cover crops in 2013.  That gets me excited!

However, do cover crops always show extra profit for every producer in every field?  The answer is “no.”

Robison Farms Research Plots

In a previous post I shared data, along with the other interesting benefits, that we found in our long-term no-tilled soil – compared to the same soil with cover crop plots.

However, the real reason we did the research was to find out if we could be even more profitable when using cover crops with no-till instead of just long-term no-till.  What we found was a significant increase in profitability in each of our plots in 2012.

The net revenue on each cover crop species or mix was considerable on our farm in 2012.

The net revenue on each cover crop species or mix was considerable on our farm in 2012.  We used $5.75/bushel as the value of our corn.

 

The “worst” profit improvement was $41.78/acre and the “best” was $286.94/acre – impressive figures.

However, we did see additional benefits that may not always add this kind of improved profit:

  • increased earthworm activity
  • improved root mass and root depth
  • improved water infiltration
  • improved plant health

But these may not always add profit.

Other  $uccess Stories

Since the inception of Plant Cover Crops.com, many farmers I’ve gotten to know have had increased yields and profits.  Dave from Central Indiana has had very good success with improved profitability and improved soils.  Dave, from NW Ohio, has seen improved yields and profits following cover crops most years.

Others like Dan DeSutter, Rodney Rulon, Terry Taylor, Cameron Mills, and Larry Bonnell have had great success and continue to use cover crops more and more while refining their systems to fit their needs and management practices.

It is easy to see the area where the soybeans were planted into tilled ground over a new tile compared to the soybeans no-tilled into winter cereal rye.
It is easy to see the area where the soybeans were planted into tilled ground over a new tile compared to the soybeans no-tilled into winter cereal rye.

Cover Crop Disappointments

As I said earlier, not every farmer will have success with cover crops every time.

Bob Ormiston,  from NW Indiana, recently e-mailed me about his 2012 experience.

Last year we had three fields of cereal rye which we sprayed about the time the rye was starting to head.  In two of the fields, we had worked new tile lines to level the ground and wiped out the cereal rye.  There was an enormous difference in the quality of the bean stand, and the no-rye tilled beans were significantly taller than the beans planted into the rye.  I think it is fair to say that in 2 of the 3 fields we took a 5-10 bpa yield hit because of the cereal rye.  The problem was very likely compounded by the crazy dry and hot weather.  The field with the best stand made 58 bpa.  The other two around 49.

Bob later commented,

The beans in the worked areas of the cereal rye had a much better stand and throughout most of the growing season they were taller.  They were all drilled with a JD no-till drill.  The rye was around 20 inches tall and starting to head.  The beans were planted about 1.25 inches deep.  Weed control was excellent and both glyphosate and Extreme were utilized.  To reiterate, I felt the perceived yield loss in 2 of our 3 bean fields was a direct result of the drought and high temps.  The 78 acre field that yielded 58 bpa received substantially more rain and generally had a much better stand than the other 2 fields.

Tom Burlingham from Wisconsin notes,

›Neighbors plot had 10 bu less corn per acre where there was radish cover after 2011 wheat. 75 vs 65. Three strip trial with UW Ext. (Under exceptionally dry conditions.)

Multi-Year Research from Iowa

A three year study done by Practical Farmers of Iowa has shown both improved yields AND also yield loss when following winter cereal rye with corn and soybeans. It is important to note that when yield was lost it was sometimes a failure to control the cover crop adequately.  However, that was not always the case – their 2010 corn yield following winter cereal rye was negatively impacted in each of their locations.

Conclusions

While cover crops have been the “hot topic” over the past 3-4 years we still have a lot to learn.

Some experienced cover croppers may scoff at losing yield and claim it is because only one species was used as a cover crop – that we all need to use “cocktail mixes.”

Others may say that using one species is all they are comfortable with managing.

Both groups might be correct in their thinking.  But each individual farmer must make his own choice of what he can deal with (or wants to deal with).  Bob Ormiston is investigating using Hairy Vetch and Crimson Clover with a grass mixture in 2013 before his 2014 corn crop.  My brother, Dad, and I are looking to do straight winter cereal rye before all of our soybeans in 2014.

Whatever choice a producer makes should always have a goal of improving the soil health.  If the soil is healthier, then usually a better, more profitable crop will follow.  But it does not always happen that way.  Like many things in life, patience and best management practices usually pay off – and most likely will always pay off in the long run.

I’m interested to hear about your experiences using cover crops. Have you seen a benefit? Have you struggled? You can share your thoughts below in the comment section or send me an email.

 

Fertilizing Cover Crops & Planting Legumes After Soybeans

If you spend any time at all in cover crop meetings, you may have heard that it’s a good idea to add 20-50# of Nitrogen per acre to your cover crop – if you don’t have a legume in the mix or you don’t have manure available. You also probably heard (or participated in) the grumbling that predictably starts from the crowd. Who wants to fertilize a crop that they will not harvest?

While it’s true that producers will not “harvest” the cover crops, they will have healthier cover crops which should lead to healthier soils and healthier profits.

Manure as the No-Brainer

Obviously if manure is available it is a smart move to put manure where you will have or already have cover crops.  We know from research that cover crops can hold as much as 90% of the nutrients from manure applications.

We have also know that where manure is applied without a cover crop being present (even if worked in) we can lose a significant amount of nutrients into ground water or as surface run-off.

What About Adding Commercial Fertilizer?

The Radishes on the left had manure applied and those on the right did not have any additional nitrogen applied.
The Radishes on the left had manure applied and those on the right did not have any additional nitrogen applied.

But, what if there is no manure to apply and for some reason you do not want to include a legume in your system?

Is it worth applying 50# of nitrogen to produce a cover crop?

Let’s look at what we think we know:

  • Pages 22-24 of Managing Cover Crops Profitably provide formulas to figure out the value of using cover crops as a green manure in a cover crop system –  whether with legumes, manure, or fertilized.

Look especially at the section on “Potential losses” to see that there can be nitrogen losses even in this scenario.

  • Cover crop experts say to count on 50% of the N captured or N produced by a cover crop to be available to the next cash crop.
  • It appears that adding a grass with legumes or brassicas will help “slow down” the release of the N in the spring making it more slowly released to the next crop.

 

Here is a photo of the Ingham County Michigan Cover Crop Plot. Where there was a legume in the mixture there was considerably more growth and earthworm activity
Here is a photo of the Ingham County Michigan Cover Crop Plot. Where there was a legume in the mixture there was considerably more growth and earthworm activity

What can we expect if we plant a cover crop and we don’t add more nitrogen?

How will that cover crop do?

I will utilize work that Dan Hudson did when he was an Extension educator in Ingham County Michigan in cover crop plots he planted back three or four years ago.

  • Radish tubers are considerably smaller and the roots appear to not be as deep  (I have not dug a root pit in this scenario).
  • Grasses have a more shallow root system in forage settings when fertility is lacking.
  • The cover crops were pale green.
  • The “hungry” grass cover crops had less earthworm activity than in the grass + legume mix plots.
  • “Hungry” radishes and turnips had much less tuber and top growth, thus sequestering less nutrients (one of their main functions).
  • Winterhardiness on cover crops is potentially not as good when the cover crop is undernourished.

What can we expect after soybeans?

Do we need a legume in the cover crop mix following the beans or is having a grass and/or brassica to sequester the N from the soybeans good enough?

Let’s investigate the difference between adding a legume to a cover crop mix following soybeans compared to planting scavengers only.  The charts are from our family farm trials.  The charts show the chlorophyll readings of the corn in the year following the soybeans (and then following a cover crop).

It is important to look at the “Y” axis as each chart is slightly different in how it shows the top reading.

When Austrian Winter Peas were added to a scavenger (Radishes) the chlorophyll readings were very favorable compared to the no cover crop check plot and plots with just scavengers.
When Austrian Winter Peas were added to a scavenger (Radishes) the chlorophyll readings were very favorable compared to the no cover crop check plot and plots with just scavengers.
Just like the peas gave us an advantage over the no cover crop check the crimson clover showed very favorably.
Just like the peas gave us an advantage over the no cover crop check  and scavengers, the crimson clover also showed very favorably.

 

While the Oats and Radish showed exceptionally favorable in the early part of the season the plot are "ran out of gas" as the corn was pollinating.
While the Oats and Radish showed exceptionally favorable in the early part of the season the plot “ran out of gas” as the season progressed.
Straight Winter Cereal Rye was impressive early season but also did not fare as well against the check as the mixes with legumes
Straight Winter Cereal Rye was impressive early season but also did not fare as well against the check as the mixes with legumes.

As we looked at the yield of the corn in these plots we saw a considerable difference – suggesting that even after soybeans we might want to add a legume to improve the corn yield the following year.

Yields from the different cover crop plots shown above were:

Check Plot                                    105.24 bu/ac

Winter Cereal Rye                      126.86 bu/ac

Oats and Radish                          138.79 bu/ac

Crimson Clover + Radish           153.99 bu/ac

AW Peas + Radish                        164.82 bu/ac

Conclusion

All indicators seem to point that adding manure, a legume, or additional N might very well pay off when planting a cover crop, even after soybeans.  However, adding a nitrogen source is not necessarily vital to having a successful cover crop system.  I would suggest that you try different scenarios on your own farm and in your own system and see what works best for you.

Cover Crops and Erosion Control – A “No-Brainer”

Cover Crops Improve Driving Conditions

This is one of the signs in the Central Sands of Wisconsin that got my attention

This is one of the signs in the Central Sands of Wisconsin that got my attention

Central Sands of Wisconsin

I like to look to the right and left (in addition to out my windshield) when I am driving. My dad taught me that was a very good way to get educated while driving.

So, when I was driving down I-39 in the Central Sands Region of Wisconsin I noticed the sign shown above.  There were actually two signs that said “next 5 miles” on them so that equaled 10 miles of warning to motorists to watch for “dust” (translated soil) across both northbound and southbound I-39 over a 10 mile stretch!

And that is exceptionally valuable soil to be losing across the Interstate! The Central Sands Region is a very rich agricultural region and losing soil should not be the “normal” way.  The good news is that many acres in the region are covered with cover crops.  The bad news is that they still need signs like the one above.

Ruts in soybean fields are way too common sights as I drive across the Midwest.
Ruts in soybean fields are way too common sights as I drive across the Midwest.

SW Lower Michigan (and in your neighborhood too)

How much does a bulldozer cost to fix erosion ruts in fields?  Probably more than cover crop seed.  Probably a lot more.

As I drive across the Midwest, this type of erosion is very common.  On our hills at home we had erosion like this a few years, even after we started no-tilling.

But is this acceptable? Should it be?

In eastern Iowa along I-80 I saw ruts that had to be almost 4 foot deep!  Some of the ruts were not repaired and the farmers changed the direction they planted the fields by the way the ruts ran.  And let’s not get me started on fall tilling hillsides with fairly steep slopes!

Cover Crops provide the opportunity to greatly reduce soil erosion.  Watch for future posts showing the results of a rainfall simulator on very level soil and how cover crops reduced erosion to a miniscule amount compared to the same area without cover crops.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kura Clover – The Perennial Cover Crop

Kura Clover is an interesting option for cover cropping no-till corn producers. Why? Because Kura Clover forms a “living mulch.”

I have been working with Dr. Ken Albrecht from the University of Wisconsin-Madison on Kura Clover since the summer of 2000.  During that summer as I traveled through eastern Iowa and NW Illinois I envisioned that before 2005 all of that region would have Kura Clover on it!

That never happened. But I am still very excited about Kura Clover as a feed source and cover crop.

For Kura Clover to be best utilized on your farm you really need to graze it the first two years and periodically thereafter. Cattle milked similarly on this mixture as what they did on alfalfa!
For Kura Clover to be best utilized on your farm you really need to graze it the first two years and periodically thereafter. Cattle milked similarly on this mixture as what they did on eating alfalfa haylage!

What’s so great about Kura clover?

Kura clover:

  • Produces high yields with little additional nitrogen
  • Fixes gobs of nitrogen
  • Forms a “living mulch”
  • Survives forever – stands last 30+ years
  • Makes livestock producers/row crop farmers smile
  • Provides diverse options in the field
  • Saves cover croppers money – a one time investment in seed
  • Controls erosion 
  • Is easy to work with in corn production

Why hasn’t Kura clover taken over the cover crop/forage world?

  • It establishes slowly.
  • It requires livestock (cattle or sheep) to be a part of the program for optimal benefit.
  • You cannot plant corn into Kura Clover every year.
  • You cannot plant soybeans into Kura Clover.
  • It must be inoculated with a special inoculant for it to establish/thrive.
  • It costs a lot in establishment year.
  • There are few producers of Kura clover seed – the biggest is CISCO Seeds.
This Kura Clover was ready to be sprayed with the second application of glyphosate to burn it back so the corn could take off. This plot yielded over 185 bu/ac the year this photo was taken.
This Kura Clover was ready to be sprayed with the second application of glyphosate to burn it back so the corn could take off. This plot yielded over 185 bu/ac the year this photo was taken.

 

Corn growing in Kura Clover in Arlington, Wisconsin.
Corn growing in Kura Clover in Arlington, Wisconsin.
Note that this photo (taken in October 2002) shows large ears and a beautiful crop of Kura Clover growing under the canopy.
This photo (taken in October 2002) shows large ears and a beautiful crop of Kura Clover growing under the canopy.

 

 

 

 

January 2013 Cover Crop Meetings to Attend

Listed below are what promise to be outstanding cover crop meetings in January 2013.  Please make an effort to attend some of these if you can:

I am sure there are more than I have listed here.  If you have meetings that you would like to spread the word about, please add then to the “Leave a Reply” area below.