North Central

Cover Crop Management and Termination

Planning for proper spring management of your cover crop needs to happen before April. Learn from two experts in the field on a couple different methods for termination.

The Sustainability of Biofuel Fact Sheet Series

This 18-part series addresses topics related to the sustainability of biofuel production, including biodiversity, greenhouse gas reductions, life cycle analysis and more.

Avicultura Rentable

Avicultura Rentable: Criando Aves en Pasturas es una guía que incluye experiencias de agricultores  y lo último en investigación para criar pollos y pavos usando corrales, cercos portátiles y pasturas.

FARMDATA

FARMDATA is an online system for tracking and reporting crop production data, particularly for organic vegetable growers. The system can be used for keeping records on seeding, transplanting, harvest, cover crops, compost, fertilization, irrigation, pest scouting and spraying activities, packing, distribution and customer invoicing. FARMDATA uses smart forms that help with calculations and remember key data.

2014 National Conference on Cover Crops and Soil Health

All session recordings and slide presentations from the National Conference on Cover Crops and Soil Health are available online. Held in 2014 in Omaha, Neb., the event brought together 300 agricultural leaders and innovators to explore how we can make American agriculture more sustainable through improved soil health. Attendees represented agricultural industry, the farm community, academia, government, commodity and conservation organizations.

Broadcast of Opening Sessions

Watch opening sessions of the conference, held on Tuesday, Feb. 18 and broadcasted live to 230 locations across the country as part of the Cover Crops and Soil Health Forums.

General (Plenary) Session Presentations

General (plenary) presentations on cover crops and soil health.

Soil Health Principles

This session covered basic principles necessary to build soil health.

Innovative Ways to Seed Cover Crops

This session featured a panel of farmers talking about their experiences with a variety of approaches to seeding and establishing cover crops.

Selecting Cover Crops

This session addressed the relative pros and cons of various cover crop species, including the less common cover crops and cover crops suited to grazing use.

Terminating Cover Crops for Maximum Benefits

Learn about the various cover crop termination strategies, including considerations for the use of herbicides, roller crimper and other termination options.

Integrating No-Till or Strip-Till with Cover Crops

Maximize soil conservation and soil health benefits of cover crops by combining this practice with no-till or strip-till systems.

Cover Crops as Part of an Overall Nutrient Management System

Learn from soil health experts about some of the latest research on impacts of cover crops on soil nutrients.

Environmental Impacts of Cover Crops

Speakers in this session discussed both local and off-site environmental impacts of using cover crops.

Grazing Cover Crops and Benefits for Livestock Operations

This session explored integrating cover crops with livestock operations.

Fellows Program Gives Extension Agents Insight into Sustaining Iowa's Agriculture

  This fall, eight Cooperative Extension agents from around the United States were given a unique training opportunity in Iowa that enhanced their understanding of sustainable agriculture and gave them in-depth exposure to agricultural innovation. The Sustainable Agriculture Fellows program provides Extension Agents from diverse backgrounds with hands-on experience in sustainable agriculture while offering meaningful […]

No-Till and Cover Crop Innovations Increase Dairy Profits

Summertime for dairy farmers in New England is anything but slow. Silage corn must be planted and harvested in a short window to provide high-quality forage for cattle, leaving little time to plant cover crops to replenish the soil. Under pressure to get corn planted early, farmers may delay the first cutting of hay, sacrificing […]

Water Use Efficiency in Tomatoes

University of California at Davis graduate student Felipe Barrios-Masias and Professor Louise Jackson saw promise in alternative irrigation methods that could use less water but still produce high yields, leading to increased agricultural sustainability and efficiency. Until successfully obtaining Western SARE funds, they were finding it difficult to receive funding for the on-farm research. However, […]