2021 Strip-Till Innovator Award winner Ben Pederson explains how he is gaining efficiency and improving performance of his Soil Warrior strip-till rig by adapting it for controlled traffic and seeding cover crops while fertilizing.

Summer has arrived and the growing season is in full swing. And while the planting season largely got off to a great start, a number of regions have experienced challenging conditions: from wet, soggy areas in Southern states to wind, hail and frost in the Midwest to expanding areas of high heat and drought conditions over large swaths of the west and the Great Plains — including 41% of corn production acres.

When seeding cover crops, the method makes a difference. For success in overseeding covers into a standing crop, either by broadcasting with high clearance equipment or aerially applying the seed, consider these tips from Iowa State University Extension.

Agricultural producers with crop insurance can now hay, graze or chop cover crops for silage, haylage or baleage at any time and still receive 100% of the prevented planting payment. Previously, cover crops could only be hayed, grazed or chopped after November 1, otherwise the prevented planting payment was reduced by 65%.

The NRCS has decided not to update its conservation practice standard for cover crops, which means restrictions to harvesting covers will not be added.

In both wet spring weather and drought conditions, the timing of cover crop termination can have a big impact on soil moisture levels, according to Purdue University.

Detailed data-crunching helps South Dakota strip-tillers Barry and Eli Little improve soil health, reduce inputs and gain control of livestock feeding options.