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Learning about the benefits of planting cover crops.

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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

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

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.
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

 

Written by Dave Robison · Categorized: Cover Crop Plots, Cover Crop Research, Cover Crops in Iowa, Cover Crops in the Northland, Cover Crops in Wisconsin, Education, Field Days · Tagged: cover crop field day, cover crops, cover crops in Iowa, Cover Crops in Wisconsin

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