Based on previous on-farm research he has conducted,[1] Sam Bennett has seen evidence that a cereal rye cover crop can suppress weeds and reduce herbicide inputs in soybeans. As such, he grew soybeans following a cereal rye cover crop and compared three herbicide packages that varied in residual activity and cost. Bennett hypothesized that weed control and soybean yield would not be sacrificed by reducing herbicides, provided adequate cover crop growth in the spring before seeding the soybeans. “I hope that we can reduce our herbicide use and cost by enough to cover the costs of establishing the cover crop. We’re always trying to answer the question of how to make covers pay for themselves,” Bennett said.