cover crops

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.

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.

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.

Distributed by SARE Outreach for the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture- National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA). SARE’s mission is to advance – to the whole of American agriculture – innovations that improve profitability, stewardship and quality of life by investing in groundbreaking research and education.

SARE Outreach operates under cooperative agreements with the University of Maryland to develop and disseminate information about sustainable agriculture.

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

Oct 17 2013

More Fall Cover Crop Field Days Coming

This fall there are more cover crop field days to attend in Iowa and Wisconsin.

For those in Iowa see http://practicalfarmers.org/blog/2013/fall-2013-cover-crop-field-days-scheduled

In Wisconsin there are two field days:

There will be opportunities to look in soil pits in Northern climates to see just what is going on beneath the surface of the soil.

October 21, 2013 – 10:30am – Cover Crop Plot Tour
Hosted by Legacy Seeds’ Kris Tessar and Ag Ventures Shawano
Located at the farm of Paul McClone on Cty BE in Bonduel, WI
Dave Robison will be speaking – Lunch will follow the tour
RSVP to Ag Ventures at 715-524-8812
October 22, 2013 – 10:30am – Cover Crop Plot Tour
Hosted by Legacy Seeds’ Kris Tessar and ADM
Located at the farm of Ken Huber at 3848 Cty P in Oxford, WI
Dave Robison will be speaking – Lunch will follow the tour
RSVP to ADM (Perry or Sue) at 800-367-4057

I hope to see you there! Dave

Sep 12 2013

Badger Plot Cover Crop Research Site – Producer Day Schedule Announced

Join me with Wisconsin NRCS at the Badger Plot Cover Crop Research Site on October 2, 2013 @ Jeff and Jerry Kreuziger Farms near Clyman, WI. Sessions will run from 9:30-Noon or 1:00-3:30 CST. This looks to be a great day to learn more about cover crops and soil health in southern Wisconsin/northern Illinois regions.

For more information see Badger Plot Research-Producer Day.

Damon Reabe from Reabe Spraying Services - Waupun, WI plays a big role in applying cover crops in SE WI. Damon provided this photo. — Damon Reabe from Reabe Spraying Services – Waupun, WI plays a big role in applying cover crops in SE WI. Damon provided this photo.

Sep 11 2013

Advancing Cover Crop Adoptions Research Agenda

Will corn planted after cover crops consistently out-yield corn planted without cover crops? Research has shown some nice advantage in areas. More research should give farmers more confidence in cover cropping.

Sarah Carlson, Midwest Cover Crop Research Coordinator with Practical Farmers of Iowa and Ryan Stockwell, Agriculture Program
Manager with the National Wildlife Federation have written an agenda that will help researching cover crops be more scientific over the next six to eight years. The research agenda is published in the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development
ISSN: 2152-0801 online www.agdevjournal.com

Here is the abstract of this aggressive agenda:

Copyright © 2013 by New Leaf Associates, Inc.
Abstract
Given certain ecologic and agronomic characteristics of conventional corn and soybean monocultures, cropping systems reliant solely on these two commodities inevitably lose soil and nutrients. Leaky cropping systems not only hamper society with negative externalities, but also erode the very natural resources needed to produce food and sustain civilization. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), state agriculture department staff, farmer organizations, agribusiness leaders, and conservation and environmental organizations now see cover crops as a solution to reduce the negative externalities of conventional row-crop agriculture. Farmers are asking for increased agronomic and economic research to help them understand the benefits of and implement the use of cover crops. Researchers for the most part are not keeping up with farmers’ innovations on cover crops nor on providing the information sought by farmers. This article outlines the questions farmers are asking about cover crops and provides suggestions to agronomists, soil scientists, and researchers on research topics to best answer those questions. Additionally, social scientists must initiate a new round of research to understand the underlying concerns farmers have with cover crops and help to define the information (both content and source) that best informs and influences farmers. This article outlines specific issues and questions social scientists can research to contribute to the advancement of more sustainable farming practices and, in particular, cover crops.

Keywords
adoption, climate change, cover crops, diversity, externalities, innovation, natural resources, nutrient loss, resilience

You can find the complete paper here.

Sep 10 2013

Fall Cover Crop Management

While in southern Minnesota in early September 2013 I was asked when a farmer should plow his cover crop field this fall because he needs the fields to be “black” this winter in preparation for next spring. I shuddered. There I was in a beautiful field of cover crops that are jump-starting some biology on a “biologically dead” field and the farmer wants to kill his biology driving mechanism. UG! The main reason he wanted to till the field was to have warmer soils in the spring where he had black soil. I shared that our research sowed much different results. His thought process sound right but has proven to be a myth, not a fact.

A beautiful stand of Oats, Berseem Clover, and Pasja Hybrid Brassica on prevent plant acres in SO. MN

I told the farmer to leave the cover crops in all winter and use conservation tillage next spring. (He’s not a no-tiller.) We dug some shallow root pits for a field day and we found many problems that I believe can be somewhat rectified if the cover crops are left in all winter.

We found many soil health problems in this prevent plant field

Severe compaction– many areas had compaction starting at 2-3″ deep. Part of that was from spring tillage of wet soils…but the compaction was about 8″ thick as the soil was coming up in blocks the size of cinder blocks!
Lack of soil biology – I know this because we found a significant amount of corn fodder 2 foot deep that was not even breaking down. It would have been buried with the deep ripper 18 months ago. I could not believe my eyes!
Lack of aeration in the soil – the soil was literally rock hard. We did find a few earthworm channels but it was so dry that worms were small and deep.
Low organic matter – I’m not sure how low it was but there was very little soil structure. I talked with a regional NRCS employee and the local SWCD specialist and both men lamented that many of the soils in that region were “about as bad as this one”.

We found corn fodder two feet deep that had not yet decompose after over 18 months.

I need to be fair. The farmer currently renting this field has only farmed it a few years and he is making major strides to improve this farm. But he has lots to accomplish before he has a healthy field. Having cover crops are a great first step and he knows it.

So what should happen with the cover crops heading into winter?

Leave the cover crop growing into the winter – This will give the best opportunity to help with aeration and percolation. This also helps build soil structure and reduce compaction. (See deep ripping, and tiling above…just let the cover crops do this naturally!)
Sarah Carlson from Practical Farmers of Iowa recently wrote an article about this topic and you can find it here Prevent Plant, Cover Crops, Now What 2013.
Let the cover crops keep putting down deep roots – we found roots of crimson clover, radishes, cereal rye, annual ryegrass, oats, and Pasja all around 24″ deep. Let them keep growing deeper to open up the soil to get air and moisture deeply into the soil profile.

This 5 week old PileDriver Radish shows the compaction zone starts at around 2-3" seep. Roots on this radish went over 24" deep despite very dry conditions. — This 5 week old PileDriver Radish shows the compaction zone starts at around 2-3″ seep. Roots on this radish went over 24″ deep despite very dry conditions.

This field had very poor soil structure. The regional NRCS specialist told me that many fields in the area had similar issues

Aug 27 2013

Cover Crop Field Day Set in Blooming Prairie, MN

PileDriver at Hagan Farms 2 33 days — This Radish was planted in late July 2013 and after 33 days has tremendous growth. This mix included oats and crimson clover and radishes.

Cover Crops will be the main topic of discussion on September 4, 2013 at a cover crop field day and meeting in Blooming Prairie, MN. I have the privilege of speaking at this event as we look at cover crops on prevented plant acres. We will also look at what cover crops work best in the upper Midwest. We will be on Brad Hagan’s family farm and possibly look at Dale Ramsey’s farm too. Please note that we will be looking in root pits (where the action really is)!

I received this note from Legacy Seeds representative Andrew Heath about the field day/meeting:

“We plan on structuring the event much like an open house with designated times where you will be able to address the crowd. We will start the event at 10 am and have you speak from 11 to 11:45 and again at 1 to 1:45. There will also be transportation to the cover crop plot and some of the field that you, TJ, Brad and I visited earlier with root pits dug. This will happen from 12 to 1 and 2 to 3.”

I have seen the plots and have added photos here on this post to entice you to come if you are in the region.

As a side note, Hagan farms will be no-tilling corn into these fields in 2014. We’ll follow-up on these fields next spring and see how these fields compare to others that did not have a cover on them.

This prevent plant field had plenty of nitrogen from manure to capture. Hagan farms used a hybrid brassica and spring barley to secure the nitrogen and Berseem clover to produce more N and provide better soil health.

Jul 28 2013

Cover Crop and Forage Meeting Aug 14, 2013

On August 14, 2013 the University of Wisconsin is holding an Agronomy Field Day at the Marshfield Ag Research Station. The line-up of speakers looks outstanding and CEU credits are available for Certified Crop Advisers.

I will be speaking out at the cover crop plots looking at how we can use cover crops as forages and benefit the soil at the same time.

KY Forages April 2011 041 — An Annual Ryegrass cover crop can make excellent dairy quality baleage/silage in the fall if planting after wheat. It also is a fabulous scavenger of N and P with deep roots.

For past blog posts on using cover crops for forages looks here and here.

An Excellent Cover Crop Mix Ahead of Corn