Claire LaCanne, University of Minnesota Extension educator-crops, Jeff Vetsch, Researcher, Southern Research and Outreach Center, Axel Garcia y Garcia, Sustainable cropping systems specialist, Southwest Research and Outreach Center, and Liz Stahl, Extension educator-crops Cover crops are grown when there would otherwise be no crop on the ground, typically seeded in the fall and killed before spring planting. Cover crops have the potential to improve water management, protect soil, and scavenge nutrients, but similar to a cash crop, cover crops need attention and intentional management to ensure success. On the February 18 Strategic Farming: Let’s Talk Crops program, Jeff Vetsch, UMN Researcher, Axel Garcia y Garcia, UMN Sustainable Cropping Systems Specialist, along with moderator Liz Stahl, UMN Extension educator in crops, discussed cover crops and how we can manage them for optimal results. They also discussed the level of establishment and growth we might realistically expect in Minnesota.
Cover crops as a means to reduce nitrate loss
Jeff Vetsch shared results from previous studies and an ongoing study at the University of Minnesota’s Southern Research and Outreach Center in Waseca which examined planting cover crops as a strategy to reduce nitrate loss in agricultural tile drainage systems.
Source : umn.edu