Innovative No-Till: Using Multi-Species Cover Crops to Improve Soil Health
This webinar addresses multi-species cover crops that can be used to improve soil health, increase biological diversity, and benefit the bottom line in no-till grain operations. An increasing number of grain farmers are experimenting with these “cocktails” of cover crops such as legumes, grasses, and companion crops to keep the soil covered year-round. During this webinar, Jay Fuhrer, District Conservationist with the National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) in Bismarck, North Dakota, shared his experience with this innovative no-till approach. Fuhrer presented four on-farm case studies to illustrate how to successfully use cover crop “cocktails” to enhance crop production and livestock forage in a no-till grain operation. Susan Tallman, NCAT agronomist and Certified Crop Advisor (CCA), also joined the webinar.
7 Responses to Innovative No-Till: Using Multi-Species Cover Crops to Improve Soil Health
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the Richters have shown that using a cover crop reduced herbicide applications and provided a significant feed for cattle while still leaving a large amount of residue. they’ve shown a profit on cover crop in between other rotations and having unknown dollar valuation of increased soil health and improved pastures elsewhere while the cattle were grazing on the cover crop. The produced income is as the feed for the cattle. The increased health of the soil is not calculated.
danonly7
July 5, 2012 at 10:05 am
great video, thanks a lot.
bertrandls
July 5, 2012 at 10:13 am
Ooh, got me there. Where’s the proof for your argument? And not talking about no-till, that isn’t the argument. The argument is that cover crops will not work on a large scale and if they did, they wouldn’t need to be propped up with tax PAYER dollars.
mrude1
July 5, 2012 at 11:06 am
here is your education that is non-government in nature: It is paid, not “payed”. Cover crops and no till are already saving people money, and in the case of grazing cover crops, producing income in the same season they are produced.
danonly7
July 5, 2012 at 11:42 am
It is sad that we have come to the point where this is passed off as education payed for through tax dollars. The gov’t doesn’t have to think about economics. Which is why gov’t funded programs don’t work. The cost of these programs is always greater than the dollar reward. In the end, when the gov’t is done propping them up, the producer is left high and dry. (Think CRPand ethanol). Cover crops will never pay on a large scale. The gov’t needs to stop wasting our money on these programs.
mrude1
July 5, 2012 at 11:51 am
Reducing herbicide use? There’s one problem, eliminating herbicides will improve diversity immediately.
GandolftheGreyMatter
July 5, 2012 at 12:06 pm
awesome video, i wish i could get every grain farmer and rancher in my area to view this and learn from this much better way to farm.
nesbitt65
July 5, 2012 at 12:29 pm