No-Till Farmer readers appear firmly committed to using cover crops. The percentage of no-tillers using cover crops grew to 83% in 2017 — a 6-point jump over the prior year, an all-time high in the decade-old no-till benchmark study and the 6th consecutive year of growth.
While less than 2% of America’s cropland is seeded to cover crops, a remarkable 77% of no-tillers enjoy the many benefits offered by protecting the soil over the winter months.
Ever wonder what cows are doing when we're not looking? Watch this cow's-eye-view of cows exploring and chowing down on a cover crop. Cover crops are an exceptional farming tool to build soil health, stop erosion and retain soil moisture. As it turns out, cows are very fond of covers, too.
The key is constructing a rotation that fully utilizes available moisture and produces enough residue for the whole no-till system to succeed, says No-Till Notes columnist Mark Watson.
The key is constructing a rotation that fully utilizes available moisture and produces enough residue for the whole no-till system to succeed, says No-Till Notes columnist Mark Watson.
Max Martin is seeing improved forage optimization, healthier cattle and more robust soils on his Texas ranch after shifting to a no-till, cover-crop system.
Max Martin is seeing improved forage optimization, healthier cattle and more robust soils on his Texas ranch after shifting to a no-till, cover-crop system.
Dalton, Neb., no-tiller Mark Ernest uses a one-pass planting and fertilizing system, diverse crop rotation and careful residue management to fight erosion and get higher yields with minimal rainfall.
Trap crops are used to absorb nitrogen from the no-till soil. If the cover crop is not grazed or harvested, the N taken up by the crop remains on-site and is preserved within the residue for use by future crops.
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On this episode of Conservation Ag Update, brought to you by CultivAce, we head to Amboy, Ill., where Dave Thompson shares his top takeaways from harvest season. Univ. of Illinois soil scientist Andrew Margenot discusses why some no-tillers might want to dial back P and K rates next growing season.
Needham Ag understands the role of technology in making better use of limited resources within a specific environment by drawing on a wealth of global experience to overcome the challenges facing today's farmers, manufacturers and dealers.
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