Preliminary results from a Penn State study confirm just how effective cover crops, especially cereal rye, can be on tough no-till weeds.

A study commissioned by Monsanto shows the impact no-till and cover crops have on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and other practices growers can adopt to help reverse climate change.

One of the challenges I sometimes run into when researching story ideas and topics for No-Till Farmer is finding studies that are conducted under true no-till conditions. As you probably know by now, what works in conventional tillage or even strip-till may not work well in no-till, and vise versa.

Once again, growers who seed cover crops have higher yields — and profits — than those who don’t, say the results of Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SARE) and Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC)’s fourth annual Cover Crop Survey.

Some no-tillers have had to replant soybeans two or three times thanks to slug damage, but there are management practices no-tillers can try to keep their crops safe while continuing to no-till.