The Midwest Cover Crop Council is producing a very useful tool for those interested in venturing into no-till. Here’s the link to their web information
. They look at a variety of factors - location, soil type, crops planted after the cover crop and more.
But for general information, here are a range of attributes we’ve [...]
Annual ryegrass and cereal rye are both popular cover crops in the corn and soybean rotation in the Midwest. However, many seed dealers and growers still get the two confused. Here’s an article from today’s No-Till Farmer that highlights some of the differences.
Annual Ryegrass, Cereal Rye Have Important Differences
Knowing the differences between annual ryegrass and [...]
Continue reading about Annual Ryegrass Compared to Cereal Rye as a Cover Crop
Michigan State Univ. extension educator Dan Hudson published the following about cover crops. To view the entire presentation, click here:
Here are the main points, both about the benefits of cover crops and that of annual ryegrass and crimson clover:
Reasons for Cover Crops - Farmer Perspective
Strong
• Improve yield or profit
• Fix/scavenge nitrogen
• Improve soil quality
– OM, [...]
Continue reading about Michigan State Studies Annual Ryegrass and Crimson Clover as Cover Crops
Since 1969, select farm plots at the University of Illinois have been in continuous no-till. In that time, the measure of organic matter has been boosted three-fold – from about 1 percent to 3.2 percent, without cover crops, according to Mike Plumer, the natural resources management educator at the university Extension. He said that in [...]
In a blog post in Organic Life Style Magazine, the author provoked lots of discussion based on this comment:
While conventional farming typically depletes soil organic matter, organic farming builds it through the use of composted animal manures and cover crops.
One of the responders, Matthew, replied:
There is another form of conventional farming, and that is no-till [...]
Continue reading about Has No-Till Become Popular Enough to Be Called “Conventional?”
If annual ryegrass is part of your rotation now, you will have noticed that - come this time of year - things dry out and crop roots start heading south looking for moisture. Annual ryegrass accommodates that better than in the old days, when conventional tillage would’ve created a layer of compacted soil that roots [...]
Continue reading about Corn and Soybeans Enjoy New Room to Grow with Deeper Roots
