Cover Crops
From $35 per acre cover crop incentives to $1.25 premiums, growers are finding ways that conservation and cash flow can mesh.
In Illinois and Virginia, Frank Rademacher and Paul Davis lean on cereal rye, no-till and patience to keep waterhemp and other tough weeds in check.
As herbicide resistance builds, Extension urges farmers to diversify control tactics and use as many tools as possible this season.
As USDA and HHS rolled out a $700 million regenerative ag pilot, the real story unfolds behind closed doors. Missouri dairy farmers Jon and Brittany Hemme share what they heard and what it means for producers.
Leadership says the new program aims to lower farmer production costs while tipping a hat to Secretary Kennedy’s MAHA initiatives.
After testing thousands of varieties and a decade of trials, a new variety of winter wheat is on its way. Next season, in 2026, South Dakota producers will be able to plant SD Vivan – made with strong resistance to the state’s agronomic challenges.
Planting more cover crops this fall is one way corn and soybean growers are addressing their 2026 nutrient needs and looking to trim expenses in the process.
The Seilers use cover crops and no-till to improve soil health, reduce input costs and improve profitability.
Learn about an Iowa plot trial that is looking at the yield boosting potential of strip cropping corn and cover crops.
Results from a new survey reveal that between 25% and 50% of corn and soybean growers adopt the use of cover crops when their trusted adviser has been planting them, as well.
Prioritizing soil health with cover crops and a diverse crop rotation is allowing Jeff Sather to save on fertilizer, enhance drought resilience and market direct to consumers.
New research from Syngenta, in partnership with America’s Conservation Ag Movement, outlines the key obstacles in adopting conservation agriculture practices, and how the path of least resistance forward is via ag retail.
“Our goal is simple: use traits to help plants grow deeper roots,” says Cquesta CEO Michael Ott.
The practice can be useful in some scenarios but not all. Farmers need to evaluate the potential impact on 2024 yield outcomes. Perhaps a bigger concern is how the practice impacts weed management, especially waterhemp.
In 2017, Bob Recker kicked open the door on 60” row corn, and exposed a ton of questions on sunlight capture, weed suppression, cover crops, and much more.
Cereal rye helps Michigan farmer reduce herbicide-resistant marestail and waterhemp.
Since Lance Dobson’s return to the family farm, he’s added cattle, cereal rye for forage and a seed dealership. “Whether it’s exercising or farming, hopefully diversification in our day will yield results that improve our longevity,” he says.
Planting cover crops is one of the many ways growers can implement conservation practices on the farm, but planting them aerially may provide additional benefits.
Aerial applicators can help expand cover crop acreage by facilitating their timely and efficient seeding.
Millborn is increasing its footprint in the Western Plains with the addition of Luhrs Certified Seeds’ production facilities.
Could new incentives be the tipping point to adoption?
The survey uses records from ag retailers to measure the use of cover crops, nutrient management and conservation tillage and no-till by Iowa growers.
Red clover can fix nitrogen, suppress weeds and improve crop yields. Based on test plot research in Illinois, a good stand of red clover can provide between 50 and 100 pounds of nitrogen per acre.
The team at Heartland Ag Systems offers their advice for keeping fertilizer spreaders running in top shape.
Ag retailers can add acres and income streams by seeking out partnerships for funding and education.
The shift to El Nino brings several changes to the upcoming winter.
Eighty percent of U.S. growers participating in the 2022-23 National Cover Crop Survey report trying cover crops. Two Indiana farmers share what they’ve learned along the way and some recommendations.
Nuseed Carinata harvest is underway in the southern United States, starting near Tifton, Georgia.