b'Why Cover Cropping is the Future of FarmingALL INDUSTRIES HAVEseen major productionCover crops are going to play a large role in future advancements over the years. Whether its using newagriculture management. It will be the exception, rather technologies or developing new operating strategiesthan the rule, to see a field without a green cover crop with the goal to improve production or reduce growing. This may require some genetic tweaking on operating costs, the intent is always to increase netbehalf of humans for difficult situations and climates income. (like breeding heat- and drought-tolerant cover crops), Today, many of these strategies are technology- but many current cover crops are suitable for this and based. Variable rate application, GPS guidance,widely available on the market as seed.genomics technology and drones are some of the Still, breeding new generations of cover crops KEVIN ELMY,current drivers of change. That said, there is a trend towill become an even bigger industry. Species will be is founder of Covergo back to some older agronomy methods, in particu- developed either as plant selections or ecovars that will Crops Canada. Hislar cover cropping and intercropping. be included in blends as new species for cover crop book Cover CroppingCover cropping and intercropping go back centu- uses. These will come more from the perennial forb in Western Canadaries. They began to disappear at the turn of the 20thplant group. This group today is an under-represented is available throughcentury with the advent of synthetic fertilizer. It wasgroup of plants that we use in our cropping systems, Friesen Press, Amazon,easier to use synthetic fertilizer, but soil degradationyet they play a large role in soil health and adding plant and digitally throughwas the result. diversity.Apple Books, Kindle,Now, with increased publicity about cover cropping,Drones will be used to apply seed. These drones and Google Play. Forpeople are curious about future potential in this area.will be able to test the soil monitoring fungal: bacterial more info on CoverDr. Elaine Ingham, an American microbiologist and soilratios, soil nitrates, soil moisture and photosynthetic Crops Canada visitbiology researcher who co-authored the USDAs Soilrates to be able to seed a multi-species cover crop with covercrops.ca. Biology Primer, suggests we have up to 1,500 years ofspecies that are required at each spot within the field. nutrition in our soils. This process will be repeated throughout the year.That is, if we just took from the soil without addingSeed coatings will have their place. Seed coatings any nutrients and were able to take all the plantwill allow seed to be placed in the soil with delayed needed, most soils will be able to supply plant growthgermination. This will allow a one-pass seeding of cash for 1,500 years. By using mulches, animal manure andcrop and cover crop but allowing the cash crop to get compost we will be able to extend that dramatically.a head start.The way these nutrients are made available is throughThere is a spot for genetic manipulation in the natural weathering of the soil and microbial activity. system. Having the option to turn genes on and off has When we have a nutrient deficiency, we normallypotential of helping cover crop plants grow, buthave a microbial deficiency, assuming the soil has notkeeping them in the vegetative stage, not allowing eroded, and it is not a mobile nutrient like nitrogen.them to go to their reproductive stage. This would keep Using strategies that involve compostinga commonthe root exudates in a form that continues to feed the benefit of cover crops and intercroppingcould besoil biology.a good way of replacing nutrient removal beyond theFeedlots will be a thing of the past. Meat animals will soil supply capability. be on the land in conjunction with cropping systems. Jay Fuhrer, a USDA conservationist in North Dakota,They will still be managed with soil health and animal notes that plants literally create soil by fixing dirt, whichgains as targets, another tool of building soil health.leads to an active functioning ecosystem. By utilizingAgriculture, like other industries, is looking and will cover crops and practicing soil health principles we canlook very different in the future. Rome was not built build soil health. Healthy soils will supply most if not allovernight. Neither will the changes that are on thethe nutrients the plants need. horizon for cover cropping.SW90/ SEEDWORLD.COMDECEMBER 2021'