Hail pounds Nebraska farmers' corn into stubble Jun 21, 2008
"If you don't plant something over it it'll go to weeds, so I've got to put a cover crop on it.". Nichols' soybean crop was contracted at 13 per bushel. (Sioux City Journal, IO)
Area farmers hear options at emergency production meeting Jun 20, 2008
Jim Jensen, farm management specialist with the extension's Henry County office, said farmers are faced with a choice: They can push ahead with their original crop and face the reduced yield this year, they can plant an alternative crop, or they can declare prevented planning, abandoning the acres for this year or planting a cover crop. He couldn't recommend which course to take, saying it would depend on each farmer's circumstance. (Mt. Pleasant News, IA)
Crop Insurance, Disaster Assistance: Tips For Working Through the Rules Jun 20, 2008
Grazing or haying a volunteer or cover crop prior to Nov. 1 constitutes a second crop and reduces prevented planting indemnities, he warns. Always check with your crop insurance agent before doing something with insured acres. (Agri-View, WI)
Moving Forward With Ponded Crops Jun 20, 2008
Although it may be tempting to plant a cover crop in drowned areas, consider if the preemergence herbicide will kill the cover crop, i.e. atrazine would likely kill oats, he says. If no preemergence herbicide was applied, no-till a cover crop into the area as soon as the soil is fit ... To avoid respraying, the field could be no-till planted with a cover crop to suppress summer annual weeds. (Agri-View, WI)
Md. Officials Promote Cover Crop Program Jun 18, 2008
Officials Promote Cover Crop Program ... Gov. Martin O'Malley visited an Eastern Shore farm Tuesday to promote increased funding for state cover crops subsidies, which pay farmers to plant fields in the winter to prevent soil and nutrient runoff into the Chesapeake Bay ... 6 million for cover crops, with farmers eligible for up to $50 an acre. (W-USA News, DC)
Indiana farmer credits Oregon ryegrass for success Jun 3, 2008
Their efforts along with the work of the Oregon Ryegrass Growers Seed Commission helped create the cover crop market which has seen production jump from less than 1,000 planted acres to more than 600,000 ... Mellbye noted that 60 percent of the Oregon ryegrass still goes to Southern states for pasture usage but the cover crop market has the potential to provide an additional outlet for farmers. (Albany Democrat-Herald, OR)
From coal plant to trailhead May 18, 2008
In a memorandum to the city council, Erichson said the entire area would be planted with prairie grass and wildflowers, a process that will include a cover crop of oats, weed kill and seeding of grass and flowers. Hargens said he hoped that would be completed in July. (Austin Daily Herald, MN)
Dig it ... It's potato harvest time May 6, 2008
Once the potatoes are harvested, a cover crop goes in. For most farmers, that will be sorghum/sudan grass. (The St. Augustine Record)
Plants Text Message Farmers When Thirsty May 6, 2008
Until now, hairy vetch -- a cover crop and weed-suppressing mulch. (Apr. (Science Daily)
Bugging out: Beyond pesticides - vintners who see insects as vineyard helpers Apr 18, 2008
The use of cover crops can help manage pests - as long as crops are chosen carefully and mowed in a way that minimizes dust and doesn't harm good insects. Aside from preventing erosion, the cover crops serve as a habitat for beneficial insects ... Without the cover crop in each row at Halter Ranch, said Wyss, insects would move onto the vine to eat. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Science)
Self Seeding: An Innovative Agricultural Management System Apr 16, 2008
16, 2008) Winter cover crops provide important ecological functions that include nutrient cycling and soil cover. Although cover crop benefits to agroecosystems are well documented, cover crop use in agronomic farming systems remains low ... Winter cover crops are usually planted in the fall after cash crop harvest and killed the following spring before planting the next cash crop. (Science Daily)
Grow your own vegetables Apr 12, 2008
Sources of organic matter include animal manures, cover crops, rotted leaves and compost ... Another option is to plant a cover crop during the heat of summer or in the winter, when the garden is fallow. (Florida Times-Union)
Farmers get more with less while saving fuel Apr 2, 2008
Jesse Sanchez, field manager for Sano Farms in Firebaugh, said he s seen huge reductions in fuel consumption and improvements in soil quality ever since the farm adopted a minimum tillage-cover crop system for its processing tomatoes. Instead of flooding the fields and tilling it conventionally, the farm now uses drip tape irrigation and plants a winter triticale cover crop that is destroyed early with an herbicide ... The cover crop increases organic matter in the soil, so the soil retains more... (Yreka Siskiyou Daily News, CA)
Things to Consider About Spring Wheat in Wisconsin Mar 28, 2008
This insect can come into fields under a cover crop and attack the alfalfa. Infestation in the seeding year can reduce alfalfa stand and yields in future years, too. (Agri-View, WI)
Organic Crops Impressively Productive When Compared With Conventionally Grown Crops Mar 27, 2008
organic corn-soybean-wheat where the wheat included a leguminous cover crop. The three forage based systems were. (Science Daily)
Green Thoughts: Grass seed activism Mar 19, 2008
Annual ryegrass is O.K. as a temporary lawn or as a cover crop for the vegetable garden. Ralph, we need you more in the green house than the White House. (Hillsdale Independent, NY)
County Gets $500K For Environmental Projects Mar 15, 2008
Grants to fund stream restorations, cover crop incentives ... Conservation District watershed specialist Scott Alexander said proposals for the three projects, which include restoration of Spring Run, a publicly accessible greenway along Big Cove Creek and funding to provide incentives for 2,000 acres of cover crops on corn silage fields, had been submitted to the state about a year ago. (Fulton County News, PA)
Brussels sprouts are worth the wait Mar 2, 2008
Adding fresh plant material such as leaves in the fall or a legume cover crop tilled in before planting also seems to help reduce the incidence of a common pest called a cabbage root maggot. A pH above 6. (Westerly Sun, RI)
On the Farm: Living with rain, then and right now Feb 29, 2008
There was no damage from erosion, as the water ran over the green grasses already growing and through the cover crop of the existing vineyard. I remembered the hills behind our house on Alamo Pintado would reach the saturation point, and water would begin running. (Santa Maria Times)
New supervisor elected to Newton County SWCD Feb 29, 2008
His bio states, They plant all the beans using no-till and use a wheat cover crop on the plowed mint ground to help reduce erosion. A written report by Julie McLemore, Natural Resources Conservation Service District Conservationist, states her area of responsibility includes Newton and Jasper Counties and she is available for technical assistance to all landowners. (Kentland Newton County Enterprise, IN)
Region roundup Feb 18, 2008
Napoleon - A cover crop workshop will be held from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday at Freddie's Place in Napoleon. Participants will hear about soil science, cropping systems, soil conservation and have a chance to ask questions. (Bismarck Tribune, ND)
Plants make poor insect repellents Feb 14, 2008
Q: Is it too late to plant a cover crop over some bare areas of the garden where I've pulled out ornamental plants and hope to plant veggies in April. Is it possible to put in fava beans (or a quicker cover crop) just to get the nitrogen-fixing roots, even if they don't reach maturity ... Is it worth it this year, or should I just plan to grow a cover crop next fall. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Trash-Based Biofuels: From Landfill to Full Tank of Gas Feb 13, 2008
"If everything is done right, probably we can use corn stover without other problems, though it might mean you have to grow a cover crop.". Biofuels also offer one of the few methods currently available for storing solar energy, notes chemical engineer Charles Wyman of the University of California, Riverside. (Scientific American)
Carbon Credits Program Offers Extra Income For Farmers Feb 8, 2008
It is important to note that carbon credits can be obtained after removing crop residue if a cover crop is planted afterwards ... No carbon credits are earned for the crop year if residue is removed, unless a cover crop is planted. (Agri-View, WI)
County denies Lawton dairy's request Jan 31, 2008
Hel ground is required to have a cover crop planted such as oats or wheat if corn is removed for silage and manure applied to it. It still would be a competative advantage to the local farmers in savings of as much as $100 per acre in fertilizer. (Sioux City Journal, IO)
A long time coming Jan 30, 2008
The bed where I'll plant beets and potatoes is currently occupied by mustard, the lovely cover crop that some folks call a weed. Mustard contains a natural form of MITC, a commonly used and highly toxic synthetic pesticide. (Daily Triplicate)
Goal for Oregon ryegrass growers is long term market Jan 22, 2008
Midwestern farmers experimenting with planting annual ryegrass as a cover crop, are reaping increased soybean and corn yields ... The ryegrass also acts as a protective cover crop against erosion during winter and spring ... For midwest soybean producers, ryegrass as a cover crop has also been shown to decrease soybean cyst nematode populations and increase yields from 8 to 10 bushels per acre. (Albany Democrat-Herald, OR)
Wussows Top Field of 'Outstanding Young Farmer' Candidates Jan 18, 2008
To prevent erosion, the Wussows plant a cover crop of winter wheat on corn and soybean fields. They also have buffer strips and cleaned the farm's drainage ditches three years ago. (Agri-View, WI)
Business in brief Jan 15, 2008
Programs run from 8:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. Featured will be Dan Towery, who will provide a midwesterner s perspective about the annual ryegrass cover crop program. Jan. 17: Lebanon Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours, 5 to 7 p.m., at Selectemp Employment Service, 2009 Aero Way, Lebanon. (Albany Democrat-Herald, OR)
Recipes: Black-eyed Peas Dec 27, 2007
Organic gardeners often use black-eyed peas as a cover crop for their ability to fix nitrogen in the soil. When on the vine, the peas look like string beans. (Suite101.com)
Grow Cover Crops Dec 27, 2007
If you plan to leave your garden plot empty for any duration, you can enrich the soil by planting a cover crop. Sometimes referred to as green manure, cover crops provide organic matter to the soil, help bring nutrients to the surface of the soil, and make nitrogen in the air available to garden plants ... You can buy several types of cover crops to enrich the soil in your organic garden. (Suite101.com)
Strawberry fields ripe for the picking Dec 7, 2007
Interestingly, Stevens' team found that consumers surveyed during the second year of the study preferred PYO strawberries grown in the "advanced matted row" system, which features raised beds covered with a cover crop mulch instead of plastic mulch and a subsurface drip irrigation system. "This seems to suggest that the cold-climate plasticulture system, typically an annual production system, is not ideal for perennial production, but would be popular as an annual system.The conventional matted... (EurekAlert!)
Building Organic Matter Worthy of Growers’ Time and Attention Nov 30, 2007
It also becomes important to get high amounts of biomass out of our cover crops to meet crop residue goals, he adds ... After low-residue producing crops such as corn silage or soybeans, farmers should have a cover crop planted to provide the mulch cover for next year, Duiker contends ... The best way to achieve it is continuous no-till, including cover cropping during times when the soil would otherwise be fallow. (Agri-View, WI)
More Corn Means More Stover to Utilize Nov 30, 2007
Crop residue or a growing cover crop can provide needed soil protection. On soils of medium and high erodibility with rain-fed production, little if any corn stover should be harvested. (Agri-View, WI)
Grow Organic Apples at Home Nov 28, 2007
A cover crop like alfalfa or sweet clover makes suitable mulch. Plant the cover crop in the summer and turn it under the following spring. (Suite101.com)
Gardeners prepare for winter Nov 21, 2007
Ball said she encourages a cover crop to keep the gardens healthy and to make the place look neat. "If they can put a cover crop in, a low cover crop that you turn, like Dutch Clover, they can turn that over in the spring, and it's really good for the soil," she said. (Milford Mirror, CT)
Trying to get a slice of the aid Nov 17, 2007
Crop Disaster: Grants partially cover crop losses, but it is not likely to help local growers or ranchers. The program is funded for 2005, 2006 and 2007 crops. (San Diego Union-Tribune -- Business)
NRCS: Consider planting cover crops this Fall Nov 7, 2007
As 2007 harvest season winds down, it is the perfect time to consider planting cover crops. Cover crops include small grains, grasses, legumes and forbs that help prevent soil erosion, cut fertilizer costs, reduce the need for herbicides and other pesticides, enhance soil health, conserve soil moisture and protect water quality ... DES MOINES -- As 2007 harvest season winds down, it is the perfect time to consider planting cover crops. (Missouri Valley Times News, IA)
Marketers promote eco-friendly fruit Oct 20, 2007
"We use an all-natural cover crop in the summer rather than discing," Thonesen said. That cuts down on dust that can harm air quality, and the cover crop also becomes a habitat for beneficial insects that control mites. (Fresno Bee)
Plants that can kill other plants studied as alternatives for pesticides Oct 19, 2007
Botanists have long known, for example, that fewer weeds grew in fields where sorghum was planted as a cover crop and then plowed under. What they didn't know was why. (North County Times)
Mother's Garden: Fall has chores galore Oct 19, 2007
For vegetable people, consider a cover crop for winter which nourishes the soil. Very old fashioned. (Belmont Citizen Herald, MA)
Standard Process Dedicates New Addition Oct 13, 2007
Agri-View: Your Premier Agricultural News Source. Your premier agricultural newspaper to provide up-to-date Capitol news, compelling livestock topics, current dairy coverage, timely crop reports and management tools for today's operations. (Agri-View, WI)
Preparing soil now helps crops in spring Oct 11, 2007
Once the soil has been turned over and nourished with compost, the last step of soil preparation is to plant winter wheat or rye as a cover crop, says McKay ... These cover crops need the heat of early fall in order to grow, so don t plant them in March, say farmers. (Lexington Minuteman, MA)
Grow them big! ... Waynesville police: Stop vandalizing the park, or else... ... Water drainage troubles face Waynesville council ... Waynesville to receive storm sirens from firefighters ... One killed, four injured in separate weekend wrecks ... County receives its audit report ... Memorial donation ... ';var marqueewidth="350px";var marqueeheight="25px";var marqueebgcolor="#FFFFFF";////NO NEED TO EDIT BELOW THIS LINE////////////var pauseit=1;var marqueespeed=1 //slow speed down by 1 for NSvar copyspeed=marqueespeedvar pausespeed=(pauseit==0)? copyspeed: 0var iedom=document.all||document.getElementByIdif (iedom)document.write(''+marqueecontent+'')var actualwidth=''var cross_marquee, ns_marqueefunction populate(){if (iedom){cross_marquee=document.getElementById? document.getElementById("iemarquee") : document.all.iemarqueecross_marquee.style.left=parseInt(marqueewidth)+8+"px"cross_marquee.innerHTML=marqueecontentactualwidth=document.all? temp.offsetWidth : document.getElementById("temp").offsetWidth}else if (document.layers){ns_marquee=document.ns_marquee.document.ns_marquee2ns_marquee.left=parseInt(marqueewidth)+8ns_marquee.document.write(marqueecontent)ns_marquee.document.close()actualwidth=ns_marquee.document.width}lefttime=setInterval("scrollmarquee()",20)}window.onload=populate;function scrollmarquee(){if (iedom){if (parseInt(cross_marquee.style.left)>(actualwidth*(-1)+8))cross_marquee.style.left=parseInt(cross_marquee.style.left)-copyspeed+"px"elsecross_marquee.style.left=parseInt(marqueewidth)+8+"px"}else if (document.layers){if (ns_marquee.left>(actualwidth*(-1)+8))ns_marquee.left-=copyspeedelsens_marquee.left=parseInt(marqueewidth)+8}}if (iedom||document.layers){with (document){document.write('')if (iedom){write('')write('')write('')write('')}else if (document.layers){write('')write('')write('')}document.write('')}} Buck Moehle explains how to grow huge tomatoes at the Pulaski County Master Gardeners’ Club as part of an ongoing class series.Photo by Darrell Todd Maurina Grow them big! Oct 10, 2007
Preparation the previous season is crucial, Moehle said, showing off winter rye and other plants that can be used as a cover crop to prepare the soil in the fall for the following spring. I am a big, big, big believer in cover crops; I think they do a lot of good, Moehle said ... Moehle s presentation on raised gardens, composting, and cover crops was particularly helpful for Thorson, she said. (Waynesille Daily Guide, MO)
Winter rye tops list of winter cover crops Oct 6, 2007
A: Cover crops are grown to protect the soil from erosion and to be cut back and tilled into the soil in spring to increase its organic matter and nutrient content ... Winter rye is the most commonly grown winter cover crop in our area because it is cold-tolerant and can be sown as late as mid-October, which gives gardeners time to harvest annual vegetables and remove spent annual flowers prior to planting ... Certain legumes are often used as cover crops but really provide the most benefit if... (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
Trash burns cause field fires in McLean, nearby counties Oct 2, 2007
-- Planting 20-30 feet cover crop buffer zones near the edge of the field next to the road ditch. The cover crop raises the relative humidity in the crop residue canopy, making it harder to ignite. (The Pantagraph newspaper)
Compostings: Winter cover crop Sep 29, 2007
Benefits of a winter cover crop. Plant the crop over the entire vegetable or annual garden. (NorthJersey.com, NJ)
Treasured cloves Sep 28, 2007
Rivers stands on his farm, pushing his tiller through one of his long garlic beds, tilling in the clover he planted as a cover crop to enrich the soil and protect it from mineral deterioration and erosion. He takes time to carefully relocate monarch butterfly caterpillars, moving the milkweed they sit upon to a safer spot. (Albany Times Union)
Cover crops deadline is Sept. 28 Sep 25, 2007
HURON -- The Natural Resources Conservation Service announced a new incentive for producers to use cover crops for the 2008 crop year. NRCS, in consultation with the State Technical Committee, added a cover crop incentive payment through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program ... Jason Miller, NRCS conservation agronomist in Pierre, said cover crops can improve soil quality and extend the grazing season, as well as provide many environmental benefits. (Madison Daily Leader, SD)
The great pumpkin Sep 24, 2007
He grows a cover crop of buckwheat, which he plows under and covers with compost. Then he ll sow another cover crop, this time winter rye. (Elizabethtown News Enterprise, KY)
Consider Winter Rye Forage After Corn Silage Sep 21, 2007
Timely harvest is crucial with this cover crop ... If you're only using the rye as a cover crop, no additional N is necessary. (Agri-View, WI)
Ammonia Nitrogen Loss Studied at Dairy Research Center Sep 13, 2007
The ground involved in this study grew a cover crop of rye, Jokela explained. First they killed the rye. (Agri-View, WI)
Thinking outside the bottle Sep 11, 2007
oth the cover crop and native grasses improve the water-holding capability of the soil, said Wolff, who has opted to use a no-till method that has saved on the cost of diesel fuel to power the vineyard equipment. He is currently transitioning his equipment to biodiesel fuel. (Santa Maria Times)
CLPA continues projects to protect the City of Lakes Aug 30, 2007
He also explained that the association hopes to continue their relationship with the Barron County Soil and Water Conservation Department to begin implementing programs with farmers which promote no-till practices, conservation tillage, fall/winter cover crop, soil testing, and creating buffer zones on their properties. In addition to working with elected officials, CLPA members have also worked on creating filter strips as another way to reduce the algea. (Chetek Alert, WI)
Southwest Counties’ Ag Damage Still Being Tallied Aug 30, 2007
The ECP does not cover crop losses. Some sort of disaster reimbursement program is needed for that. (Agri-View, WI)
Tough Times Continue for Farmers Aug 16, 2007
And insurance typically doesn't cover crop loss unless it exceeds 75 percent. "With the corn, they average the early and late yields so we couldn't collect on any of that loss (even if they had insurance).". (Missourian Publishing, MO)
Carroll Agriculture Briefs Aug 9, 2007
MDA allows harvest of cover crops ... The Maryland Department of Agriculture reminds farmers participating in the 2007-08 Traditional Winter Cover Crop Program that they may graze their livestock in cover crop fields or cut and bale the crop for winter hay once the cover crop is fully established ... Cover crops are recognized as one of the most cost-effective and environmentally promising ways to absorb unused nitrogen and control soil erosion in order to reduce potential nutrient impacts to... (Carroll County Times)
Can hemp help the everglades? Aug 7, 2007
Using sunn hemp as a cover crop can reduce the risk of groundwater contamination in Southern Florida ... Scientists from USDA-Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and University of Florida conducted studies to evaluate the specific groundwater risk from atrazine use by focusing on a specific cover crop that seems to have the potential to greatly reduce that risk ... Many investigations have shown that cover crops can reduce herbicide leaching; however groundwater quality has not been widely... (EurekAlert!)
Recent rainfall a saving grace for area farmers Jul 15, 2007
With a good cover crop that should carry me through the winter. Most area farmers are hoping to get through this season with a little jingle in their pockets but they know the Mother Nature is a fickle and mighty force. (Troy Messenger, AL)
How to air layer camellias Jul 13, 2007
Q: I have bare soil in my small yard and want to put in a cover crop to enrich the soil and stop erosion ... Planting a cover crop is a great idea when a patch of ground is nonproductive ... Clemson University has a list of winter and summer cover crops at. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Digging's done Jun 17, 2007
Most farmers plant a cover crop once the potatoes are dug and that crop is usually sorghum. The green stalks of sorghum shade out the weeds and provide some protection against nematodes, tiny parasitic worms. (The St. Augustine Record)
Deadline to sign up for cover crop aid nears Jun 9, 2007
Maryland farmers have until the end of the month to sign up for 8 million in state money earmarked to pay for winter cover crops ... Under the Traditional Cover Crop Program, the earlier the crop is planted, the higher the reimbursement rate ... Traditional cover crops may not be harvested; however, they may be grazed or chopped for livestock forage after becoming well established. (Carroll County Times)
Klingers Welcome 'Alice' Finalists May 11, 2007
Dave says there are 250 acres of corn, much of which is destined for the ethanol plant at Wheeler; 150 acres of soybeans; about another 100 in potatoes, sweet corn and other vegetables for the market; 45 acres of sunflowers (which is sold out of the store as birdseed); and rye, utilized as a cover crop and plow-down, though they also sell rye straw for customer's gardens. The vegetables run the gamut from A to Z and everything in between. (Agri-View, WI)
Green Manure Crop Styles Apr 30, 2007
The concept of a cover crop resonates for organic growers whether farmers in a small way or backyard growers because it incorporates useful techniques. A cover crop is grown to protect the soil beneath it while it rests prior to replanting ... Also, leaving a patch of ground denuded for too long is likely to increase the weed problem because weeds are discouraged by a vigorous cover crop. (Suite101.com)
Farmers hope oilseed can stand in for petroleum Apr 26, 2007
Other farmers are eyeing oilseed plants as a cover crop that might improve soil quality between more profitable plantings of berries or leafy greens ... Along the Central Coast, meanwhile, some farmers have been testing oilseed plants as offseason cover crops to improve the quality of soil, Donohue said. (Globe and Mail)
