Cover crops are helping to increase yields in Iowa corn fields. My friend Sarah Carlson from Practical Farmers of Iowa sent me the following testimonial from Eric Franzenburg from east central Iowa (about 1.5 hours east of Ames). Thanks to Sarah and Eric for making this testimonial public. I know that there are many other […]
Cover Crops Increase Iowa Corn Yields Read More »
Over the past few years farmers and ground applicators have been looking for new and innovative ways to apply cover crops. One of the more successful ways has been with a high-boy or Hagie sprayer/spreader. My friend Craig Simon from NE Indiana had a mixture of Oats and Rye and Turnips applied this way by
Applying Cover Crops with a High-Boy Read More »
I took a new management position in May of 2012 with Wisconsin based Legacy Seeds, Inc. While my main responsibility lies in working with alfalfa and forages I also was pleased to find out that there were several folks in Wisconsin that were using cover crops! Well, you would figure that I’d get involved more
Cover Crops in Wisconsin – Full Speed Ahead! Read More »
Sarah Carlson from Practical Farmers of Iowa reminded me that cover cropping north of I-80 is different than cover cropping in northern Indiana. She’s right. But how different is it, and why is it different? Sarah is quoted in a very good article in Corn and Soybean Digest that helps explain the differences. Several farmers
Cover Cropping North of I-80 After Corn & Soybeans – A Whole New World? Read More »
University of Illinois Extension weed scientist Aaron Hager has published a couple of newsletter articles on the topic of herbicide carryover. He will be publishing additional results in the future. Be Aware of the Potential for Herbicide Carryover and Considerations for Fall-Seeded Small Grains Thanks to Fred Iutzi, Manager, Value-Added Sustainable Development Center, Illinois Institute
Cover Crops and Herbicide Carryover Read More »
Have you ever wished you could get some “one on one” time with cover crop experts, two whom also happen to be plant or soil scientists? Consider yourself fortunate because you can now have a “fireside chat” with John Meisinger from Maryland and Tom Kaspar from Iowa, and me. After the CropLife Webinar – Dealing
Cover Crop Q/A on Sequestering N from Drought Stricken Corn Crop Read More »
Several farmers have asked me why they need to spend an “extra” 4-6 cents per pound to inoculate the legume seed they are planting for producing nitrogen with their cover crops. I get asked this especially about Austrian Winter Peas and Cowpea. However, if you are planting Crimson Clover, Berseem Clover, Kura Clover, Alsike, Hairy
Inoculating Cover Crop Legumes Pays Off Read More »
The drought of 2012 has forced many Midwest growers to make the difficult decision to give up on the crop and prepare the land for next year. The consequence? Significant amounts of unused nitrogen remain in the soil. Planting a cover crop makes it possible to secure nitrogen in the field, reduce runoff, and recycle