In some areas, fall rains have left the fields soft and ruts are being cut into the soil during harvest. These ruts leave the soil surface rough and have severe compaction below them.

In this episode of the No-Till Farmer podcast, brought to you by Yetter Manufacturing, we're joined by Adam Daugherty who will discuss planting logistics when no-tillers are seeding cover crop mixes, including the pros and cons of different tools available to get seed in the ground.

Clay County, Neb., farmer Chad Dane discusses his experience using cover crops in a corn-soybean rotation, including what he's learned about planting, germination, soil benefits and grazing of covers.

Farmers plant cover crops to keep the soil anchored between growing seasons, reaping benefits in soil erosion, fertility, water retention, weed and pest control, and biodiversity. While the practice is growing in popularity, cover crop acreage in the United States remains low.

Passage of a unique concept that got Congressional consideration during the writing of the 2018 Farm Bill could put more dollars in the pockets of no-tillers. It’s an idea that farmers who use no-till, cover crops and conservation-minded crop rotations to protect the soil should be rewarded with an equivalent of auto insurance’s “good driver discount” when it comes to paying crop insurance premiums.

With significant weather-related damage to corn and soybean fields in Nebraska recently, there could be an opportunity for growers to try seeding cover crops in those fields to raise a high-quality forage and offset at least some of the lost fall and winter grazing potential, says University of Nebraska Extension.

Cover crops can be used for different reasons, such as to provide soil erosion protection, alleviate compaction, control weeds, fix atmospheric nitrogen for the next crop, harvest for hay, and as a grazing resource. The reason for using a cover crop will determine which species or mixture of species you choose, as well as how you manage it.

One major consideration before deciding to plant a double crop or cover crop after wheat is the potential for herbicide carryover. Cover crops can be challenging in this regard.