Cover crops are the plants which are grown to improve soil fertility, prevent soil erosion, enrichment and protection of soil, and enhance nutrient and water availability, and quality of soil. Cover
Cover crop mixes and plant diversity is critical in farming and ranching management to improve the soil health. Many commercial seed companies sell numerous species that can add plant variety
Vegetables are a substantial part of our lives and possess great commercial and nutritional value. Weeds not only decrease vegetable yield but also reduce their quality. Non-chemical weed control is
Increased emphasis on implementation of conservation practices (terraces, conservation tillage including no-till or reduced tillage, and cover crops [CC]) have led to the integration of best management practices. However, research
With more than 65% of agronomic crops under no-till in Pennsylvania, herbicides are relied on for weed management. In perennial forage crops, annual companion crops can be added at the
Growing a cover crop with an appropriate amount of water use during long fallow periods between grain crops in a winter wheat–sorghum– fallow (WSF) system could increase productivity, profitability, resource
Cover crops offer many potential benefits to a production field, including weed suppression, soil quality improvement, and soil water infiltration. These known benefits are only part of the equation; naturally
Winter-sensitive cover crop (CC) species are frost-killed during winter, which limits their growth to the fall. Winter-hardy CC species can survive winter temperatures and accumulate biomass in the fall and
Cover crops are increasingly recognized for their multiple agronomic benefits, including improving soil quality and health, enhancing soil fertility, and preventing erosion. Choosing cover crops for a particular farming system
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
Tobacco remains an economically important crop in the state of Kentucky, and weeds are a significant challenge for tobacco producers. Weed management in tobacco is primarily accomplished with a combination
Growth termination of cover crop has been a subject of many studies. In no-tillage production, the cover crops are killed either by the contact herbicides, or by a mixture of
The diversity-productivity, diversity-invasibility, and diversity-stability hypotheses propose that increasing species diversity should lead, respectively, to increased average biomass productivity, invasion resistance, and stability. The diversity-productivity hypothesis expects that a more
Hairy vetch is commonly used as a green manure cover crop; the species excels in winter hardiness and nitrogen supply to subsequent cash crops. With prevalent pod dehiscence (PD) and
A summarization of the prior knowledge about potential cover crop benefits is needed for broader understanding of cover crop impacts on soil agricultural production and knowledge gaps that need further
According to a survey of cover crop users in the United States, the second biggest challenge to the adoption of cover crops is successful establishment in a corn or soybean
Cover crops are a tractable way to increase agroecosystem diversity because it is possible to enhance diversity without fundamentally changing other aspects of farm management. The positive relationship between biodiversity
Farming practices like tilling and herbicide application reduce plant diversity by removing natural vegetation and resulting decreases in plant resources can make agricultural landscapes inhospitable for natural enemies of herbivorous
The success of invasive plants has been partly attributed to their effects on soil biota, especially arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). AMF help plants acquire nutrients, drought tolerant, and resist pathogens.
Meta-analysis is a statistical approach to combine multiple, independent studies across years, locations, soil texture, timeframes, and other experimental conditions to characterize consistency of outcomes. To systematically evaluate cover crop
Have you received your free copy of the NEW Cover Crop Basics, 3rd Edition? Order for yourself, your neighbor, or your soil health event today!
