Category Archives: Soil Quality

USDA cover crop campaign gets a boost

A USDA campaign endorsing cover crops is getting a boost in visibility from The Howard G. Buffett Foundation, a development that could pay dividends for Oregon seed producers.

The foundation decided this past spring to raise awareness of the two-year old USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service campaign titled Unlock the Secrets in the Soil.

An article recently released in an online publication provided information on the campaign and profiled two growers who use cover crops.

Leon Moses of Greensboro, N.C., said he began using ryegrass, hairy vetch and clover as cover crops in 2006.

“I began to learn very quickly that no-till and cover crops combined to make healthy soils that rewarded me with higher yields,” Moses is quoted as saying.

Jack Erisman of Illinois said he’s been using cover crops for many years. “The bottom line?” he said. “Cover crops offer a way to find true sustainability and real costs savings.”

The NRCS campaign is aimed at improving soil health by touting the benefits of cover crops, such as annual ryegrass, red clover, alfalfa and radish, crops with seed production in Oregon.

The campaign provides growers tools and knowledge about improving soil health through the use of cover crops.

The Howard B. Buffett Foundation works to improve food security for impoverished and marginalized populations by, among other means, improving the sustainability of food production.

With the Illinois Department of Agriculture recently starting a cover crop initiative and the NRCS campaign getting a boost in visibility, it is clear that cover crop seed production offers Oregon producers a growing market opportunity.

Where To Buy Annual Ryegrass Seed

Many people ask us where to buy annual ryegrass seed for use as a cover crop in the Midwest. We’ve finally put together a list. Click here to access information.

In a recent post, you were invited to download a publication that explains about the varieties of annual ryegrass, and how important that you ask questions of your seed dealer before buying seed.

  • Where is the seed from?
  • Is it a winter hardy variety?
  • Has it been tested for use as a cover crop in the Midwest?

Click here for a copy of that flyer

.Finally, if you’re wanting a comprehensive brochure about annual ryegrass as a cover crop, click here.

 

 

 

Crop Yield Gains with Cover Crops

SARE (Sustainable Ag Research & Education) released a study of cover crop useage over the past 5 years. Read below, proof positive of the value in both crop yield and soil health. Best yet, the results are those reported by farmers themselves, based on what’s been happening on their farms.

A summary is below…you can find the whole report here: http://www.northcentralsare.org/CoverCropsSurvey

Key findings included the following:

  • During the fall of 2012, corn planted after cover crops had a 9.6% increase in yield compared to side-by-side fields with no cover crops.  Likewise, soybean yields were improved 11.6% following cover crops.
  • In the hardest hit drought areas of the Corn Belt, yield differences were even larger, with an 11.0% yield increase for corn and a 14.3% increase for soybeans.
  • Surveyed farmers are rapidly increasing acreage of cover crops used, with an average of 303 acres of cover crops per farm planted in 2012 and farmers intending to plant an average of 421 acres of cover crops in 2013.  Total acreage of cover crops among farmers surveyed increased 350% from 2008 to 2012.
  • Farmers identified improved soil health as a key overall benefit from cover crops.  Reduction in soil compaction, improved nutrient management, and reduced soil erosion were other key benefits cited for cover crops.  As one of the surveyed farmers commented, “Cover crops are just part of a systems approach that builds a healthy soil, higher yields, and cleaner water.”
  • Farmers are willing to pay an average (median) amount of $25 per acre for cover crop seed and an additional $15 per acre for establishment costs (either for their own cost of planting or to hire a contractor to do the seeding of the cover crop).

New Annual Ryegrass Publications

The Oregon Ryegrass Commission has published three helpful new flyers to aid in your selection and management of annual ryegrass as a cover crop.

1. Selection of Annual Ryegrass

2. 2014 Annual Ryegrass Management Guide – “Quick” 2-pager

3. 2013 Annual Ryegrass Management Guide – Comprehensive 4-pager

Please let us know if these could use further information or clarification.

All of these and more are available on the Annual Ryegrass Cover Crop website.

Ryegrass Cover Crop Works Well for ASA Conservation Award Winner

Soil health is the main focus at Wenning Farms, in the rolling hills and tight clay soils of southeastern Indiana. The family operates more than 600 acres in a corn/soybean rotation.

Roger Wenning, the son of the founder of the farm, talks here in a video about his practice of rigorous on-farm research and field trials. His efforts paid off last year with good production even in the drought. His efforts also netted Roger the annual Conservation Award from the American Soybean Association.

Roger cover crops his entire acreage, has tried many different cover crops, and still makes a lot of use with annual ryegrass, because of its being a deep-rooting plant that sequesters N for the following corn plants.

Watch the video by clicking here

Tracking N Loss in Midwest – Look at Cover Crops!

Studying the retention of inorganic N after last year’s drought was revealing. An Illinois team of researchers determined from 151 samples statewide that an average equivalent of 140 lb of N per acre was left over from 2012! (More than half was resident in the top foot of soil while the rest was in the second foot.)

Click here to read the whole article in No-Till Farmer.

The study also looked at how much of that  N was being lost this spring and found that between 20 – 50 lb/ac had been lost. The researchers speculate that some may be below the two-foot depth but said that with spring rains, drain tiles were showing dramatic increases of nitrates.

What the article didn’t mention is that annual ryegrass and other cover crops are superb crops to soak up that N available in the soil.

For more information about annual ryegrass, click here.

Annual Ryegrass Control – Tips for Qualtity Results with Herbicide

Now’s the Time to Begin to Take Out Your Annual Ryegrass Cover Crop
1. Timing is important. Late March – Mid April, depending on Midwest location
a. Burndown when the plant is 6 – 12”, before 1st node develops
b. Allow 5 – 7 days after annual ryegrass has begun to actively grow before spraying

2. Temperature is crucial. Should be above 60° F
a. Spray on a sunny day if possible
b. Wait a few days if nighttime temps dip below 38°F
c. Soil temperature should be above 45°F
d. Stop spraying about 4 hours before sunset to allow for max. translocation within the plant.

3. Coverage. Be thorough, use medium spray droplet and moderate pressure
a. Use flat fan nozzles, at 30 – 40 psi
b. Don’t use air induction nozzles that produce a course droplet size.

4. Primary application. One application of glyphosate may be enough for burndown
a. However, plan for two applications, using herbicide with a different mode of action
b. Scout the fields afterwards to ensure annual ryegrass is dead (it may look brown but can grow back)
c. Glyphosate use. Apply at 1.25 – 1.5 lb. a.e./a
d. Add ammonium sulfate and a surfactant
e. Adjust pH and follow mixing directions on the label carefully
f. When using additives, mix them first for 3 – 5 minutes in a full tank of water, before adding the glyphosate; water should be free of clay particles.

5. Precautions, and other herbicides to use when planting corn
a. Never mix atrazine or Callisto with glyphosate (ryegrass control will diminish)
b. Adding 1lb a.e./a Princep (simazine) improves weed control (not in sandy soil)
c. Use of Balance Pro, Prowl H2O, Resolve Q or Basis Blend, 2,4-D, Axiom at full label rate for residual weed control.

6. Use of other herbicides when planting soybeans
a. After beans emerge, annual ryegrass escapes can be controlled with full rates of SelectMax, Poast Plus or Fusilade DX.
b. Use fertilizer, surfactant, crop oil as label-directed. Less effective in cold temps.

COVER CROPS MAKE A COME BACK

At the recent Ag Connect Expo & Summit (ACES) in Kansas City a survey conducted by Case IH, found that 85 percent of the 1,109 producer respondents are considering new cropping practices and technologies for this year’s growing season.

Here’s an excerpt from the article:

Cover crops are the top farming practice that will be tried for the first time in 2013 with 24 percent of respondents planning to plant them. “We’re seeing resurgence in cover crop use for multiple reasons,” says Brian. “They can improve soil tilth, water infiltration, organic matter levels, and soil fertility, as well as reduce erosion and suppress weeds.

For more information about annual ryegrass cover crops, click here:

Ryegrass, Clover, Radish are Top Picks for Post 2012 Drought Cover Crops

Annual ryegrass, crimson clover and radish are among the most popular cover crops this year in the Midwest, as farmers rushed to plant something to absorb some of the available nitrogen still in the soil. The drought stifled the corn harvest, and thus much of the nitrogen put out there for corn was subject to be washed into nearby streams and lakes. Planting a cover crop like annual ryegrass has a “two-fer” effect: preventing erosion and simultaneously keeping the nitrogen in place for aiding the next field crop in 2013.

Here’s the article link in the Tribune Star (Terre Haute, IN) in which farmers (both experienced and newcomers to cover cropping) and Purdue agronomist Eileen Kladivko discuss the value of cover crops.