Cover Crop Strategies Podcast

The period after wheat harvest in many states provides a golden opportunity for growers to add some diverse cover crop mixes in their fields that provide numerous benefits. But which species are best suited for this planting window and what’s the best way to establish them? (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)

Mixing radish seed with cash grain wheat has led to yield increases of up to 12 bushels per acre in some areas. The synergy was discovered by accident by late no-tiller Ed Winkle of Ohio after a hired worker left radishes in a seed mixer. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)

In the second part of a two-part series on this topic, Holtwood, Pa., farmer and Cover Crop Coach Steve Groff will discuss management decisions for rolling with or without using herbicides, the weed-control potential of rolled covers, using cover crop mixes in this type of system, and how to evaluate whether your planter can work effectively in rolled covers. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)

In this episode of the Cover Crop Strategies podcast, we share a Q&A interview with senior editor John Dobberstein and Rob Myers, regional director of extension programs for Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE).

In the first part of a two-part series on this topic, the Holtwood, Pa., farmer and cover crop coach will discuss some strategies for succeeding with a roller-crimper system, including what realistic expectations should be for results, which cover crop species are best to roll and proper seeding rates. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)

Many grower avoid planting corn into fields where cereal rye has been seeded over fears that allelopathic issues from decomposing rye will stunt corn growth and ding yields. But Steve Groff believes allelopathy is often mis-diagnosed and yellow corn could be related to other management issues. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)

Herbicides can be tricky to work around when cover crops are included in the rotation. What do you need to know in order to maximize the effectiveness of cover crops? (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)

In this podcast Cover Crop Coach Steve Groff will lead a discussion that defines what arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) is, what it does for plant growth, and the factors that discourage or encourage AMF — including what cover crop species are hosts and those that are not. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)

In this podcast the Holtwood, Pa., grower and Cover Crop Coach will discuss many factors that affect winter hardiness ratings, including planting date, temperatures, snow cover, wind chill, freeze-thaw cycles and more. And he’ll share some important questions to ask about winter hardiness when purchasing seed for your farm.

It’s often been said “You can’t manage what you don’t measure.” But developing a reliable process to research the benefits and effects of cover crops on the farm, and produce information that is useful, can be a challenge for some growers.

Slugs can be the worst enemy for growers utilizing no-till practices and cover crops in certain regions of the U.S. as the creatures thrive in potentially cool, wet conditions as cash crops emerge. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)

Unfortunately there are some years when fields just don't get planted to a cash crop. But this can open up an opportunity to plant a wide range of species of cover crops to make soils more productive in the future, says Steve Groff. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)

One of the easiest strategies to getting cover crops seeded earlier in fields — and getting more growth, better erosion control, more nitrogen scavenging and the like — is utilizing shorter-season corn hybrids. Improved genetics available today can provide growers more options without sacrificing too much yield.

Every grower wants to know how to make cover crops pay off on their farm but there can be myriad challenges, including climate. One approach is interseeding covers into standing corn to increase the amount of growing time and benefits rendered by covers to farm operations. Ag conservation consultant Dan Towery and Cover Crop Coach Steve Groff will talk about how to get started, equipment choices, the best time for interseeding, what cover crop species work best and issues with residual herbicides to be aware of. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)

The temptation with some growers starting out with cover crops might be to start reducing nutrient application rates right away in anticipation of a bump in nitrogen fixation and improved nutrient availability. But nutrient management with cover crops can be tricky and there are some precautionary measures to follow to ensure your cash crops don’t suffer.

Planting cash crops “green” into living cover crops is a concept gaining a lot of momentum among growers. But is your planter and cover crop management up for the task? Cover Crop Coach Steve Groff shares some important insights that will get you off to a successful start planting green. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)