Published By Laura Barrera

Cover crops not only helped Russell Hedrick win the 2016 North Carolina Dryland and No-Till Dryland yield contest, they also saved him $123 per acre on fertilizer and herbicide costs.

How Yield Champions Use Cover Crops for Growing Higher Bushels

There are many factors that can influence corn yield. In fact, Fred Below, a plant physiologist at the University of Illinois, identified seven of them, which he dubbed the “Seven Wonders of the Corn...

Grasses like cereal rye are a good species for beginning cover crop users as they grow fast and have fibrous roots. Photo by Stephen Ausmus, USDA Agricultural Research Service.

Early Cover Crop Benefits: What Can You Expect in the First Year?

In 1995, Pennsylvania farmer Steve Groff was speaking at an event when he asked the audience the question: Do cover crops pay off?His thinking at the time was that he had been no-tilling since 1982, and...

What Farmers Need to Know About Mycorrhizae

If someone asked you, “How do plants take up the water and nutrients they need?” you’d probably tell them through the roots. But did you know that for many crops, those roots aren’t working alone?That’s...

4 Steps to Building Soil Organic Matter in the South

As we learn more about what goes on in the world beneath our feet, increased attention has been placed on soil organic matter.And for good reason. While it only makes up a small percentage of most soils,...

Should You Rotate Your Cover Crops? 4 Issues to Consider

You probably know that having a crop rotation is a good thing. Growing different crops back to back provides several benefits, such as preventing pests and disease, improving soil health and reducing fertilizer...

Nutrient Stratification Not a Problem in No-Till

A common concern growers may have when they move to a no-till system is nutrient stratification.Without tillage to mix fertilizer into the soil, no-tillers may wonder whether the nutrients applied to the...

Experts warn that growing continuous peanuts or other legumes close in rotation to the peanut crop can have detrimental effects on peanuts — namely soilborne diseases. This includes leguminous cover crops. Photo by Jack Dykinga, USDA Agricultural Research Service

Can You Use Legume Cover Crops in Your Peanut Rotation?

It’s common knowledge among peanut farmers that the farther out you space your peanut crops in your rotation, the better off the peanuts will be. Research backs this up. Jason Sarver, Extension Peanut...

How Cover Crops Affect Your Fertilizer Strategy

When it comes to cover crops and nutrient management, a lot of the focus is on what cover crops can do for soil fertility. Depending on the species being used, they can prevent leftover nutrients from running...

When is it Too Late to Seed Cover Crops?

If you’re a farmer, at some point you’ll likely experience a late harvest, whether it’s due to Mother Nature or an equipment problem. And if you plan on seeding your cover crops after your crops are...

7 Ways to Measure Soil Health Improvements

While there are numerous reasons for using cover crops, a primary one is improving soil health.In fact, it’s the one benefit most farmers using cover crops have experienced: In the most recent Cover Crop...