Page 14 - Ebook_CoverCrops2022_Final

“Even when your water’s a problem, it’s less of
a problem with the cover crops, especially if
you learn to plant green,” he said, referring to
seeding the cover crop before the cash crop is
harvested.

Jay Baxter, who farms near Georgetown, Del-
aware, half an hour from the Atlantic Ocean
shoreline, says one low spot in his field that
sees continued soil compaction can become a
“puddle” after filling with water. However, cover
crops have helped him get rid of some of that South .Dakota .farmer .Eli .Little .explains .
excess water by increasing infiltration. his .experience .with .cover .crops .

“As long as we can keep from having 6-, 8-, 10-inch The turnips, radishes and sunflowers break up
rain, we generally can shrink that puddle,” he said. soil compaction. The millet scavenges nitrogen.
“We’ve seen year in and year out that we’ve been The sorghum sudangrass has become a nutri-
able to average things out a lot easier.” tious source of feed for their cattle. The remain-

In northeastern Arkansas, farmers in that ing species contribute in some way to the overall
flat region need good drainage to grow cover health of their soil.
crops in the clay soils where farmers often “It seems to work,” he said.
deal with excess water in the winter, said Brad
Doyle, who grows soybeans, rice and wheat in Cover .crops .can .benefit . .
the area.
farmers, .earth .in .many .ways
“We can still do it (cover crops). We can still get
away with it. But it’s proper drainage. As flat The Midwest Cover Crops Council, the North-
as we are, you need the drainage,” said Doyle, east Cover Crops Council and the Southern
who is vice president of the American Soybean Cover Crops Council have created tools to help
Association. producers in their regions decide on the right
cover crops based on their goals, soil types,
growing season lengths and locations.
It’s .taken .time, .but .SD .farmers .sold .
on .cover .crop .benefits USDA-funded Sustainable Agriculture Research
and Education program and other experts say
When the Littles started planting cover crops that if used correctly, cover crops can provide
on their South Dakota farm in 2014, their main the following benefits in certain conditions:
goal was to get another feed source for their Carbon sequestration: Farmers who
cattle. But the possibility of having living roots use the right cover crops in conjunction
in the soil throughout the winter became more with a no-till system can trap an extra 750
important as the Littles learned about — and to 800 pounds of carbon per acre per year
saw — the soil health benefits.
in the soil, says Rattan Lal, a soil scientist

“There’s people who think that planting cover at The Ohio State University. Similarly,
crops is our goal,” Barry Little said. “But cover a study analyzing data from 131 different
crops are just a tool to fix our soil.” studies found that cover cropping increased
soil carbon by 15.5% near the surface. Lal

14 www.Agri-Pulse.com