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
Some weeks ago, the West Coast ag magazine Capital Press posted this article about Oregon-grown annual ryegrass and a new partner in Midwest cover crop acreage: crimson clover:
Capital Press, Salem, Oregon (by Mitch Lies)
They aren’t synonymous with salt and pepper, but apparently annual ryegrass and crimson clover are combining to provide good benefits to Midwest [...]
Continue reading about Annual Ryegrass and Crimson Clover Mixture for Specialty Cover Crop
Last fall, me and a couple of others planted annual ryegrass as a cover crop in small, no-till test plots about 40 miles NW of Indianapolis, with the idea of testing, this spring, what the Nitrogen content would be in the top growth, as well as the Nitrogen/carbon ratio. The idea is to quantify how much [...]
Continue reading about Testing Annual Ryegrass for Uptake of Nitrogen and Impact on Soil Carbon
Next Saturday, two Soil & Water Conservation Districts and a local college will sponsor a field day in Pierceton, IN - a “show and tell” about the use and benefits of cover crops.
I’ll be among those presenting information, on annual ryegrass particularly but touching on the use of other cover crops too.
Jamie and Jim Scott [...]
Continue reading about Field Day April 3 - Cover Crops, including Annual Ryegrass, in S. Illinois
Annual Ryegrass used as a cover crop adds organic matter in no-till operations. Why? The massive root structure left behind increases organic matter as it decays. Having something growing in the ground year-round allows earthworms and healthy bacteria to keep working, building nutrients, building carbon.
Each time the soil organic matter is improved by 1%, one [...]
