Plant Cover Crops

Learning about the benefits of planting cover crops.

cereal rye

Cover Crops and Crop Insurance – Spring Reminders

UPDATE FROM RMA–Haying and Grazing of a Cover Crop – FINAL – 5-8-13

Cover Crops and Crop Insurance on Collision Course again?

Cover Crops and Crop Insurance issues seem to be heading to a collision course again this spring in much of the Midwest.  In the Corn Belt wet fields have prevented planting with less than 10% of the corn planted by May 5 across the major corn producing states.  In the Upper Midwest and even into Oklahoma and Arkansas 2-19″ of snow fell the first week of May.  Dairy farmers are desperate for forage and up to 75% of the alfalfa in Wisconsin and Minnesota winterkilled.  Many of those dairy farmers planted cover crop Winter Cereal Rye with hopes of harvesting Ryelage this spring to get some emergency feed after the devastating drought of 2012.

The cold, wet spring of 2013 is causing problems

But the cold wet spring (coldest on record in USA since 1975) may have farmers in a pinch with RMA again despite the Special Provisions for cover crops to the common crop insurance policy for the 2013 cropping year.  As of May 8, 2013 the Rye is only around 10″ tall in most of Wisconsin…certainly not ready for harvest by the May 10 RMA cut-off for harvesting and still attaining crop insurance.  Even in Indiana the cover crops are ‘exploding” into head after an exceptionally slow start to spring.  The fact that these fields are not full of winter annuals that are headed out like neighboring fields should be applauded…so should fields with cover crops be penalized?  It appears that farmers in the Upper Midwest have to choose between feed and crop insurance.  In much of the Corn Belt the fields are still plenty wet.  It is interesting that in some states the fields full of weeds qualify for crop insurance…yet fields with cover crops that have seed heads (instead of weeds with seed heads) do not qualify for cover crops.  Go figure.

Please check with your crop insurance agent to see what regulations apply to you.

 

This field of Winter Cereal rye grew tremendously in very late April and early May. Now it is headed out. Doed this field qualify for crop insurance?
This field of Winter Cereal rye grew tremendously in very late April and early May. Now it is headed out. Does this field qualify for crop insurance?

Should farmers be penalized in a wet and cold year for growing a cover crop instead of having a field of winter annual weeds? Common sense says that a cover crop is better for agriculture than weeds.

Should farmers be penalized in a wet and cold year for growing a cover crop instead of having a field of winter annual weeds?  Common sense says that a cover crop is better for agriculture than weeds.

 

 

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.

 

Cover Crops Provide Improved Corn Yields in On-Farm Trial

All of what is reported below was accomplished after only one year of cover crops.  This work was inspired by a conversation Don and I had last winter with Dr. Eileen Kladivko from Purdue University.  As I say in cover crop meetings,

Don’t expect a miracle the first year – but look for one.

Over the exceptionally dry and super hot late-spring/summer months of 2012 my brother Don Robison collected “plant-health” related data on our corn field at Robison Farms near Greenwood, IN.  Don took data on the corn  from each area of the cover crop plot we planted last fall over the top of a soybean field as well in the “check area” (no cover crop area).

The data he took throughout the summer included plant chlorophyll readings, plant height, and compaction readings.  I presented some of the chlorophyll data on the CropLife Webinar and at several cover crop meetings this summer (and more is posted below).

On August 15th Don and I took hand harvested yield checks from each area and from the check area.   The data on the corn yield was almost identical to what we found with the chlorophyll data and compaction data. Where we had the healthier plants all season long (more “green-ness” and deeper roots) we had higher yields.

To figure yield we utilized this formula we found at a Purdue University agronomy website.

Each cover crop treatment out yielded the “no cover crop check”. The top three yielding plots also had the least compaction and highest chlorophyll readings through out the drought stricken summer.  The check plot yield was 105.24 bushels per acre.  The top yield estimate was 164.82 bushels per acre.

 

The area where the plot was had a 24″ water line was installed by the county in 2009; so it was intended to be a “rescue disturbed soil trial”.  The corn was not harvested directly over the water line but it was where the soil from the water line was mixed in with the top soil.  In 2011 the field was in Soybeans and yielded 48 bushels/acre.  In 2010 the field was corn and yielded 198 bushels/acre.  The whole field has been no-tilled for most of the past 20 years (there were some years with conventional tillage done – mainly in the early 90’s).  175 Units of N were applied (100 units (28%) with the chemical burn down application early season and 75 units side dressed (28%) in early May).

Rainfall from May 1 to July 31 was 2.24″ (with only 0.75 from May 1 to July 19).  There were 42 days over 90 degrees and 8 days over 100 degrees during that time.  All time record dry and heat was recorded in July, 2012 in the area.

Don took chlorophyll readings weekly (one week missed in July due to a family vacation).  He took 30 chlorophyll readings per plot per sampling date.  He also took multiple plant height readings each time as well.  He followed the manufacturers instructions on the chlorophyll readings and penetrometer tests.  Don spent a lot of time in this field so we could all have this data!  Thanks to The CISCO Companies for providing the seed, equipment, and Don’s labor to collect this data.

 

This chart shows the percentage above the no cover crop area (the “check”) compared to the different cover crop mixes. The two comparisons on the far right are from a soybean study we ran where we had cover crops two consecutive years compared to one year (more data and a post coming soon on this study).

Observations:

  • The plot areas that rated healthier (more green-ness and taller) yielded the best.
  • The plots areas where there was less compaction yielded the best
  • The plots with annual ryegrass did not fare as well as some others in this drought year – yet was still considerably above the check.
  • Not all plots with radish were “top” yielding – however two of the top three yielding plots had legumes plus radish.
  • Plots with legumes were generally healthier all season long and their yield reflected that.
  • I doubt that the whole field will average over 100 bushels/acre.  As with all hand yield tests they are estimates but I believe that the comparison is very accurate.
  • The Austrian Winter Peas, Crimson Clover, and Appin Turnips overwintered “beautifully” and were growing aggressively when sprayed at burndown.
  • There was a considerable amount of earthworm activity in the cover crop area but only a few earthworms were found in the “check” area. That is unfortunate because 2 acres were covered and 48 acres were not!
  • There were more corn roots in the plot areas we dug vs. the check area (watch for a new post coming on this soon).
  • There was more moisture in the soil where the cover crop plots were compared to the check area.
  • The soil structure was considerably better in each cover crop plot vs. the check area.
Don recorded over 180 chlorophyll readings in each cover crop plot and check plot over the summer.

 

The check plot had 175 units of nitrogen plus the whole field had been soybeans the previous year. While the annual ryegrass blend plot was above the check all season long it was not up to the desired level until after the July 19 rain event.

 

The plot with the Oats and Rye and Appin Turnips was impressive most of the spring and summer. It was at or above the desired rating until August. It was very impressive right after the July rain event and that is possibly why it had the second highest estimated yield. By the way, the turnips did live through the winter.
All season long I was convinced that the plot where the Austrian Winter Peas and Radish were was going to have the highest yield based on the data shown above (and plant height readings). It beat the second place entry by less than 1/2 bushel in the yield estimate.

Cover Crops Enhance Water Infiltration/Percolation

In late September of 2011 I was walking in our family corn field in central Indiana–in the pouring rain. Following the wettest spring in the eastern corn belt in 100 years we had a summertime drought that saw less than 2 inches in July and August combined. In that same time period we had 32 days above 90 degrees.

We just had 3 inches of rain yet my soil was dry at 1/2 inch in this area that had been tilled wet in the spring.

On this September day we were having rain…3 inches worth of glorious rain! I threw on my rain coat and Tingley boots, grabbed my shovel and went into the corn field where our cover crop plots had been planted in the fall of 2010 and killed in May 2011. As I walked through the field I noticed that where the soil had been tilled (see previous blog post) I was seeing dry soil underneath my boot track! Now catch the scene here…no rain for much of 60+ straight days…now a 3″ rain and virtually none of the moisture getting into the soil! Literally I had less than 1/2″ of the soil depth that was moist! Dry footprints followed me all the way to the end of the field. I was not happy.

When I reached the area where the cover crop test plot was (that area was not tilled this spring) I dug into the check area that was no-tilled yet did not have a cover crop. In that area I dug into the soil and I found moisture 2 1/2-3 inches deep. This area was now no-tilled for 23 straight years. That made me feel better.

Water was standing (or running off) of the soil that was tilled wet in the spring of 2011. There was very little infiltration from a 3 inch rain

 

In this photo we see infiltration at 2 1/2 - 3 inches deep. This soil has been no-tilled for 23 straight years.

 

Then I dug in the area that had been no-tilled for 23 straight years and had a cover crop the previous winter. I was very pleased when I dug in the areas where we previously had annual ryegrass and cereal rye and found moisture had filtered (penetrated) in 7 (seven) inches deep!

Water infiltrated 7 inches deep where we had corn no-tilled into cover crop rye.

 

 

 

This section of the field had a cereal rye cover crop in 2010-11 and was no-tilled. Note the lack of water standing on top of the soil! Where did the water go? Into the soil!

 

Watch these videos on what I found when digging for earthworms in this sections with cover crops and no-till and where there was tillage without a cover crop. I believe we have an additional answer to why I had so much better infiltration where I had the cover crops..earthworms and roots!

This "rogue" radish provided information that we had a compaction zone at about 3 inches deep in our no-till field; thus reducing water infiltration where we had no cover crop.

Yet, I wondered, why did the moisture stop at 2 1/2-3″ in the no-till plots? I found the answer from a rogue radish. We had a few radishes that came up in the field that had been planted in the fall of 2010 (the fall of 2010 was so dry that many of the radishes did not come up until very late…or not until spring, or in a few cases until mid-summer).  As I previously wrote, Radish does have some hard seed.  I dug around one of the radishes and found a constriction in the radish at 2 1/2-3″ deep! Even after 23 years of no-till I still had a compaction problem! I believe that is one reason why cover crops help producers to transition from conventional tillage to no-till…cover crops penetrate through compaction layers.

Cover Crop Cereal Rye: Is there a (bad) connection with Goss’s Wilt in corn?

Goss's Wilt is becoming quite a problem in the US Corn Belt.

Cover crop cereal rye has been getting some “bad press” over the past month. It has been suggested that there is a connection with cover crop rye and Goss’s Wilt in corn (cereal rye making the Goss’s Wilt disease worse in corn).

I have talked to a few agronomists who had never heard of cover crop rye being a host for Goss’s Wilt, so I did my normal Google search to see what I could find out.

Some corn hybrids ARE susceptible to Goss’s Wilt. Some have greater levels of resistance.  Here is a publication from The University of Nebraska that shows the severity of Goss’s Wilt.  This disease is a real problem in the Corn Belt and there are many frustrated farmers that have Goss’s Wilt on their corn.

I also discovered that cereal rye is more of a deterrent to Goss’s Wilt, rather than a “cause.”  By using cereal grains in between corn crops the Goss’s Wilt bacterium population is greatly reduced.  Cereal rye is actually an excellent choice for a cover crop to help reduce the risk of Goss’s Wilt.

To reduce Goss’s Wilt it would be wise to consider the following steps:

  • use resistant corn hybrids
  • use a cover crop between continuous corn crops
  • control foxtail, barnyardgrass, shattercane, and other known hosts
  • rotate to soybeans, dry beans, alfalfa, small grains, or other non-host crops

For an excellent article on this topic by Sarah Carlson at Practical Farmers of Iowa, click here. You can reach Sarah at sarah@practicalfarmers.org

 

 

 

 

Photo Diary – Soybeans planted into a Cereal Rye cover crop – part 3

My cover cropping and no-till friend Dave from Central Indiana has allowed us to look in at his farming operation this year. (Did you notice I have friends named Dave who plant cover crops?) –  In previous posts Dave has shared about his no-till planting and spraying soybeans into cover crop cereal rye and later he shared about the progress the beans were making in the rye cover crop.  Dave has a knack for photography and farming and I greatly appreciate that Dave is willing to share his thoughts and experiences with all of us. Below is the note Dave sent me about his cover crops and his no-till soybeans. (I am using this with Dave’s permission).

 

I thought it would be a good idea to snap some final pictures of the soybeans behind my house that were no-tilled into Cereal Rye before we harvested them. It has been very exciting to watch this on-going experiment this season. I am optimistic that this field will yield very well. Since the last photos that I sent you in early July, I foliar fed the field on July 29th, but never had to go back in to spray with Roundup for weed control since the burndown application I made six days after planting. There are a very few random weeds in the field, but nothing of any significance. One negative observation with this field has been that the soybeans got very tall and thus have lodged in some of the darker ground. I planted them at 180,000 seeds / acre in 15″ rows not knowing how they would emerge through that heavy cereal rye cover. Next year I will likely use this same cereal rye cover strategy ahead of soybeans on a much larger scale but will probably back the planting population back to around 120,000 – 135,000 seeds / acre. I also might consider, depending upon the growing season, using Cobra Herbicide at a late vegetative stage to help control the soybean height and also trigger an immune response to help against White Mold. I could see White Mold being a potential problem with this system because of the very heavy residue cover not allowing enough air movement into the canopy. I will probably try to harvest this field next week sometime.

I asked Dave if he saw white mold this year and he replied “I didn’t see a white mold issue this year because the weather turned off very hot and dry. I think if we have average temperatures and average or above average moisture during a growing season, white mold could be a possible problem with this system.”

Now for the photos that Dave sent…

Beautiful soybeans, weed-free, no-till planted into a cereal rye cover crop
These soybeans planted into a rye cover crop are clean and heavily podded on Dave’s farm in a year that has been hot and dry after a wet, cold spring.

The soybeans are lodging a bit in the darker soils but over-all this field looks awesome!

I was speaking at a cover crop meeting this past summer at Purdue University and I mentioned Dave and this “trial” he was doing and a gentleman came up to me after the meeting and he told me he knew Dave.  He told me that Dave is “the best” farmer he has ever met!  It’s obvious that Dave is an “elite” farmer!

 

Photo Diary – Soybeans planted into a Cereal Rye cover crop

I am very blessed to know a number of producers that are passionate about cover crops and crop production profitability.  One such producer is a fellow named Dave from NC Indiana.  (Dave is very humble and does not want notoriety so I will not use his last name or exact town.)  However, Dave has agreed to allow me to “follow his crops after cover crops”.  This will be more of a photo diary.  I think you will be excited to see how cover crops work for Dave and how awesome his crops are.  He has been a ‘cover cropper” for six years now.  This year Dave no-tilled approximately 50% of his acres.  Dave is one of the most innovative guys I know…but he’s also “cautious”; he does not want to lose money!  That’s why Dave loves cover crops!  By using cover crops he has improved his profitability.

An April view of cereal rye that was planted into corn stalks in the fall.
Planting soybeans into standing rye in Mid-May.
Cereal Rye seven days after sprayed with a 100% kill rate.
The soybean stand is “perfect” after being planted into standing cereal rye.

Managing Cereal Rye

Here is a very good article from Penn State on managing cereal rye – via the No-Till Farmer website.

Cereal rye is a pretty common cover crop. Killing it does not take "rocket science" but you need to know what to do to make sure you fully eliminate it.

http://www.no-tillfarmer.com/pages/News—Tips-For-Cereal-Rye-Management.php

Winter Cereal Rye

One of the most popular cover crops is winter cereal rye.   It is a very versatile cover crop that has few disadvantages.  While it does not have the deep, nor fibrous root system that annual ryegrass has, it reportedly has had 45″ deep roots found in north-central Indiana in May.  Winter cereal rye can be planted later in the fall than other cover crops and still have an excellent stand the next spring.


Advantages of Winter Cereal Rye:

  • Excellent winterhardiness
  • Very good for erosion control
  • Good root depth
  • Can be planted later than other cover crops
  • Makes very good haylage
  • Early maturing so following crop can be planted earlier
  • Assists in weed control for subsequent crop
  • Good scavenger of nutrients
  • Very good for aerial application
  • Very good for winter and spring grazing
  • Makes very good “green manure” if plowed in
  • Mixes well with oats and turnips

Disadvantages of Winter Cereal Rye:

  • Potential for alleopathy issues with following crop (not likely)
  • Not the top choice for erosion control or rooting depth
  • Spring growth can “get out of control” if not killed early
  • Not much fall growth for forage
  • Not the top choice for forage quality

To view a video on Cereal Rye and Radishes watch below!