Cover crops and no-till – a physical defense against soil-borne disease
You may often think of cover crops as a way to prevent erosion and add diversity to your rotation, but they have another less obvious but very tangible benefit – they can create a physical barrier against soil insects and diseases. Foliar diseases in corn can be greatly reduced where cover crops and no-till/reduced tillage practices are…
Annual Clovers for the South
Winter annual clovers have a great advantage in the realms of cover cropping and forage – they grow more high quality forage and fix more nitrogen than perennials in a shorter time span. All of them are high in protein. Annual clovers grow faster and contribute unique advantages to the rotation. Remember to inoculate any untreated seed with clover…
Corn and Soybean Herbicides and Rotation to Cover Crops
By Bill Curran and Dwight Lingenfelter, Penn State Extension With silage harvest well underway and corn grain and soybean not far behind, a number of farmers are considering cover crop establishment this fall. Remember that some herbicides can persist and potentially influence successful cover crop establishment. Both the 2015/16 Agronomy Guide (Table 1.10-6) and the…
Tackle Herbicide Resistant Weeds with Cereal Rye
Palmer amaranthPhoto credit: Penn State One central strength of many cover crops is their allelopathy – their tendency to exude chemicals from the root system that inhibit the germination and growth of other plant species. In doing this, the crop creates conditions to favor itself and eliminate competition – an excellent survival strategy. In other words, the…
First-of-Kind Cover Crop Study
This is a research site in November 2011, approximately 3 months after cover crop planting. (Courtesy of Penn State Agriculture) Original article by Morning Ag Clips Planting a multi-species mixture of cover crops — rather than a cover crop monoculture — between cash crops, provides increased agroecosystem services, or multifunctionality, according to researchers in Penn…
Finance Programs 2016-2017
Our Pre-Pay Program kicks off in September with 8% credit for all prepay. 8% continues through October and then drops by one percentage point each month through February. Contact your local dealer today to learn more about our Pre-Pay Programs. PROGRAM PERIOD CASH DISCOUNT SEPTEMBER 1 – OCTOBER 31 8% NOVEMBER 1 – NOVEMBER 30…
Managing for “The Perfect Storm” of Winters
By Paige Smart, Southeast AgriSeeds There is little doubt that this winter will be a challenge to cattle producers throughout the southeastern states. The limited fall growth due to either extreme drought or extreme flooding has limited the ability to stockpile forage for the winter and has left many feeding hay already. These unfortunate…
BMR: How a gene mutation became a breakthrough in digestibility
Over the course of the last decade, Brown Midrib, or BMR forages have become widely familiar as the elite of summer annual forages. The “cream of the crop,” these corn hybrids, sorghums, and pearl millets are distinguished by a genetic makeup that reduces their lignin content and can be visually evident as a light to…
Regulating the Sugar Intake of Horses on Pasture
Q: I am an equine conservationist in Maryland. I am working to promote rotational grazing for small horse property owners. I would really like to see some information about record keeping options for small property owners (5-20 acres) and grass combinations for horses with insulin resistance and varieties that would allow for longer grazing times. …
Seeing the Pasture for the Trees
Shaded pastures are among the more challenging conditions faced by anyone trying to establish a productive pasture. This scenario varies but often involves a grazier who wants to set up a very intentional form of silvopasture, managing both trees and forage to balance the productivity of both. To be clear, there is no forage crop…
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