Building soil health is a long-term endeavor, but one with lasting impacts. There are many practices that yield great short-term benefits. But if it’s not good for the soil, it won’t be good for the farming enterprise in the long run.

Iowa State University is hosting 3 field days in April in northeast Iowa as part of a research project demonstrating the use of winter annuals for spring grazing.

The carbon to nitrogen (C:N) ratio of the cover crop determines the durability of the cover crop residue.

A Penn State-led team of researchers suggests that the best pest management outcomes may occur when growers encourage biological control — in the form of pests' natural enemies — by planting cover crops and avoiding broad-spectrum insecticides as much as possible.

Legumes added to pasture and winter grain systems can add nitrogen to cropping systems and enhance productivity of perennial pastures. The time to make these decisions is now.

Agricultural producers who have coverage under most crop insurance policies are eligible for a premium benefit from the USDA if they planted cover crops during the 2022 crop year. To receive the benefit from this year’s Pandemic Cover Crop Program, producers must report cover crop acreage by March 15, 2022.