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...
Welcome to AgFuse’s fourth year of hosting a 31 Days of Cover Crops Photo Contest! This is a fun time for each of us to share our favorite cover crop photos. There will be three winners with the first...
It's a fact: cover crops tend to make good farmers into great farmers and average farmers into bad farmers. Cover crops work. But, management is key and the learning curve can be steep. If you've been sitting...
In the past few years, we have made a concerted effort to increase the usage of cover crops and other conservation practices on our farm. I have learned a lot of lessons from this experience but one stands...
Middle Tennessee State University soil scientist Samuel Haruna analyzes a soil sample from his research fields to see how cover crops impact soil temperature. Photo provided by Samuel Haruna.
You can pick the right seed, use the right equipment, apply the right inputs, and plant at the right depth, but without the right soil temperature, your crops are likely to struggle. One practice that can...
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.
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...
When it comes to creating a cover crop mix, the options are endless. You need to determine what kind of species you’ll use, how many you’ll use, and at what seeding rates. For anyone new to cover crop...
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
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...
The 2019 edition of our “31 Days of Cover Crops Photo Contest” has ended. We received many great entries and want to thank everyone for their participation. As previously detailed, we will award three...
Some growers may have had no option but to plant green — as shown above — into their cover crops this year because of poor weather conditions. In this photo by Ted Kornecki, USDA Agricultural Research Service, the farmer is terminating his cereal rye with a roller at the same time he is planting his cotton.
With May 2018 to April 2019 being the wettest 12-month period on record, according to NOAA, many farmers across the nation were forced to delay planting. In fact, for the first time on record, less than...
Wet conditions across the country forced many farmers to forgo their plans for the season and take prevented planting payments instead. The USDA says that as of July 8, 2019, its paid roughly $184 million...
AgFuse is excited to announce our third year of hosting a fun photo contest and we want you to be a part of it. There will be three winners with the first prize being a $200 gift card to Amazon! The second...
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...
Our 31 Days of Cover Crops Photo Contest has now come to a close. We want to thank everyone who participated in this year’s contest including those who submitted entries and those who voted for their...
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,...
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...
Part 1: Know Your True Cost of Production Why Your TCOP Matters How to Calculate Your TCOP Part 2: Take the Emotions Out of Your Marketing Plan Why You Need a Plan How to Create a Marketing Matrix How to...
From Direct Driller Magazine: Issue 2Written by Frédéric ThomasLike many farmers, Michel Mercier first got into direct drilling based on the economic savings it offered. He first worked with an SE Horsch...
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...
Many farmers across the U.S. experienced wet weather last growing season. According to NOAA, the 12-month period between July 2018 and June 2019 set the precipitation record in the U.S. with an average...
This article is part of a series on biological control and Integrated Pest Management written by UAV-IQ (www.uaviq.com). In agriculture, input distribution companies are essential stakeholders for their...
It can be read here and you will see it has grown to 100 pages, which is where we expect it to stay going forward. Direct Driller Issue 3 Issue 3 Of Direct Driller magazine. The conservation agriculture...
FARM WALKS WITH THE SOIL FARMERS OF THE YEAR 2018The winners of the FCCT Soil Farmer of the Year competition opened their gates over four days and provided a veritable masterclass in managing soils. Spanning...
When you picture what’s happening below ground in your fields, you probably imagine a web of roots branching out to provide your crops support, nutrients and water. But root growth isn’t the only thing...
If you’ve considered using cereal rye as a cover crop in front of corn, you’ve probably been warned that your yield would suffer.And the truth is it might. Research has shown that corn yields can take...
Direct Driller Magazine Issue 4 Direct Driller Issue 4 is out now! You can read the digital version here: Direct Driller - Issue 4 - January 2019 The first 3 issues have had a great reception and we hope...
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...
Mulch is one of the most versatile and cost-effective materials that can be used to improve a property. It is a multi-purpose material that is used to conserve moisture in the soil, keep it cooler, reduce...
18 years ago, we bought our first self-propelled sprayer and it revolutionized access to land, it was light and well balanced and made fertilizer and crop protection applications easy. Our timeliness...
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.
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...
Good weed management practices include rotating herbicide modes of action and layering preemergence and postemergence herbicides with residual activity.
It’s been over two decades since the first Roundup Ready crops were planted in commercial fields. At the time of introduction, the technology was revolutionary for farmers, who found a highly effective...
Thanks to Willis Jepson of Orlinda, Tennessee, for sharing this photo entry.
Yesterday, our 30 Days of Cover Crops Photo Contest came to a close. All of the entries we received are amazing and we want to thank everyone who participated. As previously announced, the winning photo...
A grazing system, when done correctly, can assist rangeland managers in achieving management objectives. They can both boost production as well as reduce their overhead costs.Selection of the proper type...
There is no shortage of great apps to help farmers in 2020. As farming gets more digital, tech savvy farmers are craving tools that can help them do their jobs more efficiently and better. This list compiles...
What is Subsurface Drip Irrigation?Subsurface Drip Irrigation (SDI) is a way of irrigating crops through plastic tubes placed under the soil surface. The tubes have droplet emitters with even spacings,...
On the Hardwick brothers' Somerset Plantation, they do a lot of variety trials with seed companies, which helps them determine which hybrids to plant next year. In this photo they are finishing planting their corn variety trials. Photo from the Hardwicks.
With last year’s season completed and this year’s yet to begin, now is a natural time to reflect on your farm’s performance and how you can improve in the future. One way to make your decision-making...
The main problem concerning corn cultivation is water stress: the most critical phases that suffer from water shortages, which can lead to significant production losses, are from the emission of the plume...
This is an unquestionably tough time to be a farmer. A trade war has beaten down already marginal prices, inputs have risen more than anyone could have predicted and many of us have experienced a so-called...
Jason Mauck's intercropped soybeans growing between 19-inch quad rows of wheat. By focusing on the wheat for capturing nutrients, suppressing weeds and feeding soil life vs. high yields, Mauck has seen over 100-bushel soybeans with significant input savings. Photo by Jason Mauck.
In Gaston, Ind., Jason Mauck is farming a little differently from his neighbors. Unlike the typical corn-and-soybean monocropping system, for the last 5 years Mauck has been doing low population, wide-row...
With the increasing use of precision ag tools and increased machinery efficiencies, the whole dynamic of hiring farm employees has changed as well. Being a farm worker these days means being a technician,...
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