Scott Jungman- Regional LeadNathan Johnston- Seed Advisor

Why Cover Crops

Cover Crops

• Soil and plant health benefits

– Reduced erosion

– Increased nitrogen for future crop use

– Nutrient sequestration

– Soil Tilth

– Minimized soil compaction

– Water Infiltration

• Problems with Cover Crops

– Seeding Establishment

– Length of Growing Season

Why Cover Crops?

• Reduce Erosion

• Build Organic Matter

• Produce and scavenge Nitrogen

• Reduce Compaction

• Improve water infiltration

• Increase Earthworm populations

Soil Erosion

What happened January 8, 2015?

Cover Crops Provide Nitrogen Production

Cover Crops - Build Soil Organic Matter

GroundBuilder Radish drilling through compaction

Increase Soil Aeration and Percolation

GroundBuilder Radish

Increase Earthworm populations

• Enhance soil aeration

• Enhance nutrient recycling

• Enhance percolation

Cover Crop Application

2013 Seeding and ROI

• Late to seed plot

• Dry conditions impacted seeding establishment

Beck’s PFR Cover Crop Research

Seeding Methods– Aerial, Broadcast, Drilling

Seeding Timings– Pre-harvest, Post-harvest, – Interseeding

Nutrient Sequestration– Nitrogen Rate Testing

Long Term Cover Crop Testing– Organic Matter, Soil Tilth, Economics

Questions??