Cover Crop Strategies Podcast

Pennsylvania cover crop expert Steve Groff says that in the past 5-10 years, soil health testing has grown in popularity, but they aren’t a silver bullet for detecting all soil health problems. In this podcast, learn about the different types of soil tests available, what they can measure and why each one is important. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)

Managing legumes as a cover crop requires smart decision making, says Pennsylvania cover crop expert Steve Groff. From choosing the best nitrogen-producing species and planting legumes as early as possible to using winter hardy selections and planting into green legumes, Groff shares best practices for getting the most out your covers while using less nitrogen. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)

There are other options for growers besides letting your best soil blow away in the wind, says Pennsylvania cover crop expert Steve Groff. Planting into a standing cover crop can be handled in a variety of ways. Groff explains why your planter should be equipped with a roller crimper, how to evaluate your comfort or experience level with planting green, using the proper seeding rate and more. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)

Timing, cover crop seeding rates and application methods are the keys to maximizing manure management for cover crops, according to Pennsylvania cover crop expert Steve Groff. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)

Pennsylvania cover crop expert Steve Groff shares key concepts for working with heavy clay soils, discusses why diversity of species is critical for this type of soil, and how cover crops and can be used in heavy clay soils for water management. Because heavy clay soils tend to hold moisture, they can produce outstanding yields, so understanding how to manage some of the biggest challenges this soil type can offer is of the utmost importance. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)

Although most growers this year have been dealing with too much rain, there are areas and years when getting a cover crop established and reaping the benefit without draining soil moisture is a challenge. Pennsylvania cover crop expert Steve Groff says that growers using covers in a low-rainfall area should concentrate on feeding soil biology, keeping the soil cool and improve water management. Executing these ideas will look different for each farmer, but all farmers can aim for diversity of species, keeping something growing in fields year-round and shading fields. Find out more in this week’s podcast. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)

The carbon-to-nitrogen ratio is a critical number to know when planning for both cover crops and cash crops, according to Pennsylvania cover crop expert Steve Groff. The C:N ratio affects decomposition rates for crop residues and impacts nitrogen cycling as well. Understanding the C:N ratio helps growers be better managers in the context of overall soil health and fertilizer use. Groff shares why this often-overlooked aspect is critical to making good decisions when growing covers. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)

Preparation is important to succeeding with cover crop management and there are several areas of decision making that can have a significant impact, says Pennsylvania cover crop expert Steve Groff. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)

Hungary is the destination for this week’s podcast, as Pennsylvania cover crop expert Steve Groff shares his observations from visiting the country for their first-ever soil health conference. Hungarian growers are just becoming more interested in cover crops and no-till, despite the fact that they plow up to 90% of their land. Groff explains why it’s important to review the basics of cover cropping, why radishes are the best choice for a beginning cover crop, what lupins are, and much more.

Climate change is one of those hot-button topics that everyone has an opinion on. Regardless of the cause, science has shown that global temperatures are rising, and agriculture will have to adapt in order to continue feeding the world. Could cover crops be a tool to help reduce the affects of climate change? Pennsylvania cover crop expert Steve Groff weighs in on this controversial topic, including how growers can make a difference in reducing carbon dioxide emissions, how cover crops sequester carbon, how well managed grazing fits in and more.

Determining the best time to plant covers is a critical element to their success. It’s important to know how late in the season you can plant covers to plan buying cover crop seed and working around potential fall inclement weather. Steve Groff, a grower from Holtwood, Pa., shares his thoughts on what has affected cover crop planting dates in the past 20 years, including no-till, mixed species covers, higher biological activity, winter hardiness of cultivars and new cover crop cultivars.

Pennsylvania cover crop expert Steve Groff shares his insights from visiting France and what American growers can learn from what is being done overseas. French growers are dealing with a ban on glyphosate, the impacts of organic agriculture, farming on steep slopes and more.

Have you ever considered growing your own cover crop seed? It can be done—and in ways that will not get you into legal trouble. There is a gauntlet of rules and regulations around growing your own seed, and this podcast provides tips on how to follow those rules. Steve Groff, cover crop expert from Pennsylvania, discusses the differences in growing cover crop seed for your own use versus growing cover crop seed to resell, knowing the difference between a brand and variety, how to assign lot numbers, and more.

Planting is always a challenging process, but planting cover crops can take that challenge to the next level with different seed shapes, sizes and densities. Each type of cover crop requires that the planter be calibrated differently, and multi-species mixes make it even more puzzling to find the best calibration. Whether you use a drill or a planter can also impact your approach. Steve Groff, Pennsylvania cover crop expert, shares some different methods for calibrating drills and planters to prepare for planting cover crops. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)

It's a bit more challenging to fit cover crops into a tillage system, but there are opportunities if you create them, says Steve Groff. The Cover Crop Coach and Holtwood, Pa., grower will share different ways row crop farmers and even vegetable farmers in the U.S. and overseas are getting cover crops seeded into tilled fields to control erosion and replenish soils.

When planting cover crops, there are three factors to keep in mind in the context of using herbicides to control weeds: the herbicide half-life, the amount of rainfall received and the amount of organic matter. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)

More growers are increasingly becoming interested in raising organic crops. While food-grade organic crops merit a larger return on investment, they also require a high level of quality and present unique challenges in marketing those crops. This podcast is brought to you, courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators

Strip tilling with cover crops is taking off in many regions of the U.S. and is relatively inexpensive. Seeding cover crops can occur during fall strip-tilling but comes with its own challenges in the spring. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)

The concept of planting cash crops into living cover crops is gaining more momentum among growers every year. But is your planter and management up for the task? (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)

Cover crops certainly produce a lot of benefits for growers in terms of soil health and nutrient management — but how, exactly, do you make them pay? Steve Groff says there are a several directions to go in that will build a solid foundation for economic benefits. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)