Page 13 - KMA Ag Mag 2020
P. 13
KMAland 2020 Overcoming Current Challenges in the Ag Community 13
rye cover crop may have enough weed pressure, cover crop roots ture- not just one crop, not just
fall growth to graze, and can be help hold soil in place, reducing one year, not just one field. By
cut for forage in the spring. erosion. Not only is reducing improving soil health, farmers
erosion good for Iowa’s water- will improve resiliency and we
ways, but most nutrients are in will see less erosion, more wa-
the top few inches of soil, held ter infiltration, less flooding, and
by soil organic matter (SOM). more nutrient retention in soils,
Each percent of SOM in the top which will lead to fewer inputs.
6” of soil releases up to 20 lbs of The best way to find out
nitrogen per year, and can hold how your soil is functioning is
up to 90% its weight in water. to take a spade to the field and
Given the past few years of wet do some digging. Healthy soil
A weed-free soybean field with cereal rye weather, this may not sound that is a rich dark color, full of earth-
cover crop residue important. However, during the worms and held together by liv-
Photo by: Shannon Moeller dry weeks in July when our crop ing roots. Healthy soil takes in
plants are rapidly growing, that rainwater for a longer period of
By keeping the soil covered water held in SOM can be a very time than unhealthy soil. The
with a cover crop in between important factor. Natural Resources Conservation
cash crop seasons, this will help Another way to positively Service has several soil health
mitigate weed problems. Weeds affect soil health is to add small resources, including different in-
are nature’s way of healing itself; grains into the rotation – and field assessments to try. Be sure
there’s nothing natural about diversifying a farming operation to check then out this spring as
bare soil, or plants growing in can help manage risk. There are you prepare for the 2020 grow-
perfect rows with bare ground some local markets for oats such ing season.
in between. So, plants that we as for cover crop use, and Practi- Shannon Moeller is a Certi-
consider to be weeds come into cal Farmers of Iowa has some re- fied Crop Advisor and lives with
play, often a mix of grasses and sources and cost-share opportu- her husband on their family farm
broadleaves, and some with ex- nities with small grains (https:// in northeast Iowa. For the past
cellent root systems that help practicalfarmers.org/programs/ four years, she has been the Proj-
make excellent soil structure. field-crops/small-grains/). The ect Coordinator for the Iowa
The weeds growing in between early harvest of a small grain Seed Corn Cover Crop Initia-
the rows of corn help capture (summer, as opposed to late-fall tive, a WQI-funded project that
more sunlight and keep the soil corn/soy harvest), will provide works to increase cover crops in
environment more stable. But, opportunities for a diverse cover seed corn production systems
they also use up nutrients and crop, much like some of the pre- around the state of Iowa. While
water that the cash crops need. vent-plant fields of 2019. she specialized in soils at Iowa
Having a thick cover crop grow- While adding cover crops State University, and in cover
ing over the winter and early and transitioning crops to no-till crops over the past few years, her
spring can help choke out weeds has been the big focus over the main interest lies in Regenera-
so they don’t get established in past few years, regenerative ag- tive Agriculture and other issues
the early spring, and, if a cereal riculture is the way of the future. where agriculture, environment,
rye cover crop grows to be taller Regenerative agriculture uses and climate collide. She enjoys
than 18” in the spring, the resi- and expands on the principles visiting with farmers and learn-
due can help hold back weeds in of nature to help increase pro- ing why they do things the way
the early stages of the cash crop ductivity while also improving they do, and can be reached at
growing season. the environment. Regenerative shannon.moeller16@gmail.com
Besides helping to reduce agriculture looks at the big pic-
