Soil erosion is a major problem in soybean production regions as crop residue is limited, leaving the soil with limited cover during the winter. Cover crops can provide protection to
Crop diversification can help manage weeds sustainably in major crop production systems. It acts as an organizing principle under which technological innovations and ecological insights can be combined to manage
Suitable cover crop species and reliable establishment methods need to be assessed to identify viable cover cropping strategies that provide environmental benefits while maintaining productivity in corn-soybean rotations. Successful establishment
Lack of attractive short-term economic returns to growers and limited time for cover crop establishment following maize and soybean harvest are major reasons for slow cover crop adoption. Therefore, alternative
Winter camelina and pennycress are both oil seed crops and cold tolerant species that require less pest management inputs than winter rye and can serve as an alternative cover crop.
In the northern Great Plains, planting cover crops after a full-season cash crop often results in a poor or marginal stand due to low temperatures and/or dry soils. Greater stand
Including cover crops in corn or soybean cropping systems provides soil cover, increases biodiversity and soil organic matter, utilizes available nutrients by preventing leaching, and may increase growth and yield
Steven Mirsky (USDA-ARS) and Greg Roth (Penn State University) provide a rundown of common establishment methods for cover crops: aerial seeding, interseeding and post-harvest drilling. They also discuss the importance
Steven Mirsky (USDA-ARS) and Greg Roth (Penn State University) provide a rundown of common establishment methods for cover crops: aerial seeding, interseeding and post-harvest drilling. They also discuss the importance
Steven Mirsky (USDA-ARS) and Greg Roth (Penn State University) provide a rundown of common establishment methods for cover crops: aerial seeding, interseeding and post-harvest drilling. They also discuss the importance
Many of the benefits of cover crops are known and their use is increasing, but more can be done to evaluate and improve their performance and adoption. In this session,
Herbicides have been a major weed management tool, but cover crops have the potential to suppress weeds provided there is enough biomass production. Early seeding, herbicide carryover damage, timely termination,
Despite the numerous environmental benefits provided by cover crops, only 10% of the U.S/ Midwest field are planted with cover crops. Interseeding cover crops in maize during early vegetative growth
The presence of cover crops in the U.S. Midwest maize and soybean fields has shown to be a beneficial practice from an environmental benefits viewpoint. Cover crops reduce water runoff,
Cover cropping is commonly associated with increased soil microbial activity and soil health. Cover cropping in the Upper Mississippi River Basin has increased rapidly in the last decade due to
The European honey bee, Apis mellifera L., is commonly used as a surrogate to understand pesticide risk to all bees, yet, honey bees have different life history and foraging behavior
Broadcast interseeding cover crops into corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) instead of drill-planting after harvest extends the cover crop season and improves productivity, but establishment
Global agricultural and food systems face the challenge of feeding a growing world population in the face of finite and diminishing resources. To guide the redesign of agricultural systems, farmers
Interested in growing your own seed? Two Iowa farmers discuss the benefits of growing their own winter rye seed.
Currently, there is limited information on intersowing cover crops into standing cash crops, and thus, further research is warranted. The objectives of the research conducted were to understand the effects