Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 84 Page 85 Page 86 Page 87 Page 88 Page 89 Page 90 Page 91 Page 92 Page 93 Page 94 Page 95 Page 96 Page 97 Page 98 Page 99 Page 100 Page 101 Page 102 Page 103 Page 104 Page 105 Page 106 Page 107 Page 108 Page 109 Page 110 Page 111 Page 112 Page 113 Page 114 Page 115 Page 116 Page 117 Page 118 Page 119 Page 120 Page 121 Page 122 Page 123 Page 124 Page 125 Page 126 Page 127 Page 128 Page 129 Page 130 Page 131 Page 132 Page 133 Page 134 Page 135 Page 136 Page 137 Page 138 Page 139 Page 140 Page 141 Page 142 Page 143 Page 144 Page 145 Page 146 Page 147 Page 14848 / SEEDWORLD.COM DECEMBER 2016 REDUCING SOIL EROSION, bulking up organic matter, tamping down weeds — the ben- efits of cover crops continue to intrigue farmers, but weather and geography pose a challenge. In those areas of the country where snow follows soon after harvest, seeding a cover crop can be par- ticularly difficult. Experts agree uniform estab- lishment is key to reaping those benefits. But with a short window in the fall for the planter to follow the combine, growers look to ensure their investment (both in time and product) doesn’t go to waste. As with anything, jumping into cover crops starts with a good plan and that’s where agronomists and retailers can lend their expertise. “It’s all about planning. It’s never too early to start thinking about next fall,” says Scott Wohltman, La Crosse Seed cover crops lead and agronomist. Headquartered in Wisconsin, La Crosse sells forage, turf and cover crop seed. Dean Baas, an agriculture educator with Michigan State University Extension and member of the Midwest Cover Crops Council Executive Committee, adds that when you’re working with farmers on their primary seed selections, you should also be talking about how to incorporate a cover crop strategy into their planting inten- tions, taking the entire growing year into account. It’s prudent to purchase that seed at the same time as corn and soybean seed, when a grower crunches numbers and considers what fields need, Baas says. “The people who are committed to cover crops have made it part of their cropping system,” he shares. “It’s not one of those last-minute decisions. They’ve bought seed early and planned for cover crops in their fall field work.” The other part, depending on the crop, is planning how a grower should deal with cover crops after they’ve done their job. But Baas cautions that you, like farmers, don’t know what the spring weather holds; so having a back-up plan is a good idea. You don’t want customers to be in a situation where they have shoulder-high cereal rye, Baas says, adding that they need options for Cover Crops Add to the Mix MARIA BROWN is a freelance writer and newspaper reporter based in Michigan. She obtained a bachelor’s degree in English from Calvin College and lends a hand on her family’s 800-acre farm in Capac. dealing with out-of-the-ordinary situations. Don’t just assume they can get in the fields at the planned or ideal time — you’ve got to be thinking about options for cover crop termination. What Can Go Wrong? What’s lost if a cover crop attempt fails because of poor establish- ment in the fall? First and foremost, there’s little to no improvement in soil health. Any benefits derived from cover crops are related to growth, Baas says. “Another potential issue is that cost share programs usually have requirements for reaching a certain percent of cover before they’ll pay,” he says. “They will come and inspect a field, and if those require- ments haven’t been met, they won’t provide the funding.” A failed attempt can turn farm- ers sour on the whole cover crop concept too. That’s why Baas says he and fellow Midwest Cover Crops Council members created the popu- lar Cover Crop Decision Tool found on the council’s website (www.mccc. msu.edu) to help growers make the best choices for their operation. Retailers and agronomists have an important role to play in helping farmers understand how to fit cover crops into their rotations. Brassica species such as radishes, rapeseed and turnips are planted to help prevent soil compaction.