By Bill Bollman

Veteran no-tillers are increasingly interested in cover crops as a means to continue improving their soil’s health. The management mindset is no longer sustainability of what may well be a degraded resource, but one of improving and restoring that soil resource. The benefits to establishing a cover crop are many and include: erosion control, reduces nitrate and phosphorus losses, increases soil organic matter, increases biodiversity, weed suppression, soil moisture management, minimizes soil compaction and promotes biological nitrogen fixation.

 The economical and environmental benefits have farmers brainstorming on how to integrate cover crops into their production systems. The best method to accomplish cover crop seeding may vary between operations due to differences in geography and crop mixes involved, as well as differences in the labor and machinery available.

Here are some of the different methods utilized to establish cover crops:

Air Delivery Seeder behind Vertical Tillage Tool

Air Delivery Seeder mounted on Grain Header 

Rotary Harrow behind Broadcast Application

Seeding with No-Till Drill

Aerial Application into standing crop

For technical assistance in your area, please visit: http://www.in.gov/isda/2367.htm 

For more information on cover crops, please visit: http://ccsin.iaswcd.org/

Red Gold Stewardship Award

 by Julie Harrold

Julie is a Resource Specialist Team Leader/CREP Leader in the north east part of Indiana. Julie's areas of Interest/Expertise include surveying; design of waterways, wetlands , structures, and working with landowners and SWCD’s. 

In 2009, the ISDA Division of Soil Conservation began working with Red Gold, Inc. to create a Conservation Stewardship Award Program for their tomato growers.   The program was established to showcase and recognize the conservation efforts taken by Red Gold Growers.  The goal of this award program is to highlight the current practices already undertaken by conservation minded-growers and to stimulate a proactive approach among all growers to evaluate their farm management practices and make improvements.

All Red Gold growers are eligible and encouraged to complete an initial application and all growers are provided an application form.  Once the initial applications are submitted, the applications are ranked based on the same criteria for every participant.  They are based on stewardship practices used to reduce soil erosion and improve soil and water quality, and practices used to reduce nutrient runoff and/or leaching and pesticide runoff and/or leaching.

At the end of May each year, the applications are due from all the growers who want to participate.  Then begins the process of reviewing and ranking those initial applications.  The top-ranking applications, typically the top 5, are chosen as finalists.  Each year in early July, I get the opportunity to visit 5 or 6 farms and visit with these producers that grow tomatoes for Red Gold.  I get to hear and see first-hand how they operate their farms and what good stewardship practices they are doing on their farms.  Through the past 5 years that ISDA has done this program with the growers, I have seen a lot of improvements in tillage practices, and in the use of more cover crops.  After I complete the farm visits, a ranking is done based on these visits and interviews. 

Tomato field

Chemical Storage Handling Facility

Filter Strip on ditch with tomato field in the background

Hay in cropping rotation

 In late July or early August, Red Gold has a field day for their growers followed by banquet serving a delicious pork chop dinner.  This year’s field day was held near Elwood, IN and featured several cover crop demonstration plots and some equipment demonstrations. 

Cover Crop plots at Field Day

At the field day, Barry Fisher from NRCS and Greg Downing from CISCO Seeds talked about cover crop benefits, types, termination, etc. and also showed soil pits in the cover crop plots.  Fred Whitford from Purdue did a presentation on tire and road safety for trucks and trailers, and insurance.  Ben Puehler from McDonnall Harvester did a presentation on tomato harvester equipment adjustments for improving tomato quality.

Barry Fisher speaking at Field Day

Fred Whitford talking to grower at Field Day

  

Following the field day, Red Gold holds an informal banquet to recognize the hard work of their growers and to talk about this years harvest and production.  The Stewardship Award is also presented at the banquet to the top two finalists.  First place receives a $1000 scholarship from Red Gold, a plaque, and one extra load of tomatoes per day during the harvest season, and second place receives a $500 scholarship from Red Gold and ½ extra load per day during harvest.  A Second Chance drawing is then held for the remaining Stewardship Award participants and includes a drawing for one extra load per day.  This year’s winners were both from Michigan.  First place went to Stanton Farms in Sherwood, Michigan and second place went to Iott Farms in Deerfield, Michigan.  

Way to go growers, and keep up the good work of being good stewards of our land!  Thank you to the growers and participants for your commitment to improve our soil, water and natural resources.

Conservation Cover: One Man’s Experience

Ed Roll is no stranger to Conservation Cover.  Not only has Ed served 25 years with the Indiana State Department of Agriculture Division of Soil Conservation as a Resource Specialist, he has also spent 30-years-and-still-counting working on his own farm.  Ed has spent that time practicing what he preaches to other land owners.  He regularly utilizes cover crops to replenish nutrients and increase soil health.

I regularly work with producers to get Conservation Cover on the land.  This process has recently been helped by utilizing Clean Water Indiana cost share funds.  I also serve as a member of the Conservation Cropping Systems Initiative (CCSI) South East Indiana Regional Hub which sponsors various educational events.

According to the Natural Resources Conservation Service website, interest in cover crops has skyrocketed over the past few years in the eastern Corn Belt.  Remarkably though, cover crops are an age-old practice for maintaining soil productivity.  They have been used for years to control erosion and improve water infiltration.   Cover crops also work to balance the biological community as well as many other environmental benefits.  (http://www.in.nrcs.usda.gov/ )

Planting a winter cover crop is a great way to improve soil health through the off-season.  While other land sits dormant, cover crops build fertility for the following year.  Cover crops can improve soil texture, boost organic matter, prevent erosion, suppress weeds, and provide food and shelter for beneficial insects.

Selecting the correct cover crop to plant is important.    It depends upon whether a producer wants to scavenge nitrogen or produce nitrogen for the next year’s row crop.  It can also depend upon the desire to conserve other nutrients and moisture.   The Midwest Cover Crops Council has a great website that can help you select cover crops to best fit your needs (www.mccc.msu.edu).

In general, there are two basic types of winter cover crops:

1) Those that grow vigorously in fall but are easily killed by cold temperatures (such as oats and radish in most areas of Indiana).   

2) Those that survive winter cold and resume growth in spring (such as clovers, winter rye and wheat).

The first kind is relatively easy to manage because they normally winter kill.  The trade-off is that you must sow these covers earlier to get adequate growth and maximum benefit before the plants are killed by the cold.  Oats and radishes are examples that should be sown by early September in the north and a couple weeks later in the south.   

The second kind of winter cover crop — those that overwinter and continue growing in spring — can be sown a bit later into fall.  This includes wheat, cereal rye or rye grass.  These crops will need to be terminated in the spring at planting time.

Seeding methods for cover crops may vary depending on the preferred seeding dates.  Some producers drill the seed or broadcast it after harvest.  Another option is to utilize aerial seeding while the primary crop is still in the field. 

My brother, Jack, and I utilize cover crops on part of our 1200 acres that we operate in southern Indiana.  We especially appreciate the benefits of erosion control, nitrogen scavenger, nitrogen producer, weed control and others.  We are careful to sow only the amount of cover crops that we know we can manage. 

Our cover crops are selected to match the next year’s crop, as well as the specific fields that will receive the greatest benefit.   Each year presents a new opportunity to try something different to see what works for us.   I am fortunate to have the opportunity to work with Indiana State Department of Agriculture-Division of Soil Conservation.  My work has provided me with a good knowledge and a renewed interest in cover crops.  This matches up well with my years of farming.

 In the summer of 2012, I selected a few fields that I was going to plant in corn for the 2013 growing season.  I decided that with the high cost of nitrogen I would see if I could produce some myself with the help of Crimson Clover.  I felt that clover was the best fit for my management system.  I considered aerial seeding, soil types, termination timing and cost.

I look at cover crops like a medical prescription and consider what side effects may be present.  I weigh out the “what ifs” that I need  to consider.  It’s important to remember that cover crop management is different for everyone.  You need to see what works for you.

Due to the wet spring I started no-tilling corn a couple weeks later than normal so that put  my Crimson Clover in full bloom which I believe marks the peak for producing nitrogen.  I allowed a couple of days to chemically burn down the clover and was still able to get my corn planted. 

As I continue to watch the crop progress, I have found that it was easier to terminate the Crimson Clover than I had thought.  Another benefit that I have noticed is weed suppression; I normally would have had to come back over this particular field to spray for weeds.  With the thick mat of clover, I eliminated the need for that pass.

Cover Crop Field Day in Allen County

by Cassandra Vondran

Cassandra is an Indiana State Department of Agriculture Resource Specialist for the Division of Soil Conservation in Allen and DeKalb Counties covering the Western Lake Erie Basin and has been with the Division for nearly 18 years.

Many benefits are associated with cover crops:  erosion control, increased microbial activity, increased nutrient cycling, increased organic matter, increased infiltration, and increased crop yields. To educate area farmers, a cover crop field day was held on April 10^th at Ron Miller’s farm north of Woodburn, IN.  The field day was sponsored by the Allen County SWCD as a part of an Indiana Department of Environmental Management 319 grant for the Upper Maumee River Watershed Project. 

Scott Haley and Derek Thompson showing soil health demonstrations

Scot Haley, NRCS Area Soil Scientist, and Derek Thompson, DeKalb County NRCS District Conservationist, kicked off the field day by showing soil demonstrations.  Mike Werling, a farmer and a contract employee through the St. Mary’s Watershed Initiative, provided additional comments.  The demonstrations showed the benefits of utilizing cover crops. Producers then were able to look at soil pits in fields that had cover crops.  

Attendees look on as Scott Haley describes cover crop roots in a soil pit

Soil pits were dug about three to four feet deep to allow producers the chance to see the below ground earthworm activity and the roots of the cover crops.  One field was seeded with cereal rye and the other field was seeded with oilseed radish and oats in the fall of 2012.  Mr. Miller received cost share assistance to try cover crops for one year.

Ron Miller and his son look at the roots of a dead oilseed radish plant

The takeaway message for the event was for farmers to understand the basic mechanics of cover crops and adopt them into their own management system.  Events such as this cover crop field day are giving farmers this basic information.  More cover crop field days are being planned for the future in Allen and DeKalb counties.   

Happy Earth Day Everyone!

by Deb Jimison

Deb serves as a Resource Specialist in the Tippecanoe Watershed area. Deb is housed in the Pulaski County field office as part of the Division of Soil Conservation team. Before joining ISDA, Jimison worked for Soil and Water Investigation in Elkhart as a soil scientist.  She brings a wealth of experience in storm water management and erosion control to the position. Jimison is an Indiana native from Elkhart County.  She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science from Purdue University in 1985. She lives in Winamac and enjoys travel, camping, canoeing and observing wildlife.

It seems that the saying “Everything old is new again” is true in many different areas. Our grandfather’s knew the benefits of cover crops, but somehow that practice was forgotten in modern farming.  As pressure grows from an ever-increasing world population for food and energy, cover crops have been re-discovered as a tool that helps the soil help producers. The technological advances in farming strategies, equipment and chemicals can increase production only so far if soils aren't revived as well. Cover crops, especially as part of an over-all system including additional conservation methods, can return to our soils the properties they once had when first converted into cropland.

Plans can meet individual needs at every farm as each cover crop addresses different things. Your situation might benefit from erosion control, holding on to nutrients, knocking back weeds or providing forage. Using the right plants or preferably a combination of plants with different properties is a powerful way to give soil a boost. Species with tap roots address surface compaction to improve water and nutrient movement to cash crops. Others with fibrous roots can build soil structure and improve tilth. Deep-rooted covers add permeability in heavy soils. Others may hold expensive nutrients and chemicals so they don’t get lost to the ground water.

Pit showing rooting depths of cover crops although not much is showing at the surface

As with any practice, there is the potential for problems if not used correctly.  Discuss plans with someone experienced in using cover crops prior to your first attempt. Do research to find the proper species, the correct scheduling of planting and termination and proper control methods for the crops you’d like to try. Then the improvements you want can be obtained and the negative effects on the next cash crop can be avoided. Your local ISDA Resource Specialist (RS) is a great source for obtaining information on cover crops and many other issues. Contact your local RS today with any questions or concerns you may have.

Early spring results of a mix of cover crops.

Images of What We're Thankful For

Photo submitted by Laura Fribley, District Support Specialist

 Photos submitted by Julie Harrold, Resource Specialist Team Leader, CREP Leader

Photo submitted by Nathan Stoelting, District Support Specialist

Photo submitted by Jennifer Pinkston, Assistant to the Division of Soil Conservation

Clean Water Indiana Grants in Action

Here is a picture of some radishes in a cover crop field in north east Pulaski County.  This field is part of the cost-share program for a 2012 Clean Water Indiana grant. For more information on cover crops, please visit the CCSI-Cover Crop website.  For more information on Clean Water Indiana Grants, please visit the ISDA Clean Water Indiana website. 

Photo submitted by Julie Morris, ISDA-DSC. Julie is a CREP leader for the Middle Wabash-Little Vermillion watershed and a Resource Specialist serving the counties of Porter, LaPorte, Starke and Pulaski.

Cover Crop Root Dig

Guest post by Logan Garner:  

Logan Garner is a graduate of Butler University with a B.A. in Science and Technology Societal Studies with a focus on environmental policy.  At Butler University he worked for the biology department and wrote and edited for the Butler Science Magazine.  Before joining the ISDA Logan worked in agricultural research and development at Dow AgroSciences on herbicide development and soil degradation studies.  He is a resource specialist for the Tippecanoe River Watershed and is located in Warsaw, IN at the Kosciusko County SWCD office. 

I visited my first cover crop root dig this week.  On an unseasonably warm March morning I arrived at a dig just south of Huntington to join a convoy of trucks and SUVs parked on the shoulder of state road 5.  Ag owners and operators, Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA), Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) staff  and Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) personnel and a sprinkling of Cisco seed reps made up the small crowd of thirty or so folks enjoying coffee and donuts on the side of the road…I think the refreshments may have attracted a few stragglers as well.  At any rate, it wasn’t long before Scott Haley, an NRCS soil scientist, introduced himself and one Dave Robison from Cisco Seeds.  He then hailed everyone to the first root pit—or rectangular hole in the ground as it appears.  

As an introduction, the presenters highlighted gains to soil health and water quality as well as the logistic and economic benefits that generally accompany a field in a no-till/cover crop regimen.  Farmers chimed in opinions and shared experiences while county, state and federal staff gave their two cents as well.

Dave Robison took things from there, discussing the strengths and weaknesses of each cover crop species as well as their useful mixes and pairings.  

As the morning progressed we moved from one pit to the next.  Terms like “nodules”,” nutrient management”,” tilth”, “water retention” and “biotic function” arose as the familiar buzzwords of the day; rye grass, crimson clover, hairy vetch, cowpeas, radishes and oats were the species in evidence.  For a seasoned cover crop academic, the event was both a refresher and a discussion board.  To fledgling land owners and operators of the cover crop world it was an introductory course in soil health conservation farming.  For newer employees like me it was a great opportunity to pick apart the dos and don’ts of management, species selection and rotation.

 

After all the pits were examined and the roots and soil clods were passed around the crowd for examination, a brief Q&A drew the field event closer to an end. The only thing left was the infamous soil demonstration, wherein we see the difference between bacterial driven soil systems (tilled soil) and fungal driven systems (no till/cover crops). I’d seen this demonstration nearly a dozen times so far in my less than three months with ISDA. But just when I thought I could give the presentation myself, I learned something new and important yet again. As I listened and watched Scot Haley drop two dried samples of soil into glass cylinders of water, an unfamiliar word (that I’ve somehow missed all this time…don’t judge me) escaped his lips: GLOMALIN!! Glomalin-related soil proteins are a significant component of soil organic matter and act to bind mineral particles together, improving soil quality.
 
For more information on Cover Crops, check out the Conservation Cropping Systems Initiative (CCSI) website

ASA National Conservation Legacy Award Winner Rulon Enterprises

I Heart Soil

SSSA

I really do love soil and the folks that I work with in agriculture and conservation do too.  We love it because we have the opportunity to see everyday what a precious resource that it is.    We get to see the passion for conservation, productive lands, clean waters, wildlife, the Aldo Leopold "Land Ethic" in full swing!  In fact, everyone experiences the impact that soil has on our lives everyday through the food we eat, water we drink, home where we live, etc.  It is an awesome thing!

Another awesome thing.......the Soil Science Society of America has made these really cool, simple videos about the importance of healthy soil and the connection to clean water and food.  You can learn more at iheartsoil.org  .
Check out these cool videos by clicking the links below....I Heart Soil


Healthy Soil = Healthy Water
Healthy Soil = Healthy Food


Yet another awesome thing.......Our 2011 Indiana Tillage Transect results tell us that approximately 180,000 acres of Hoosier farmland is planted  to Cover Crops this year.  So, we have several farmers out there around Indiana working to build their soil quality, trying to hang on to their precious nutrients and topsoil, and keeping that beneficial soil biological activity humming all year long.  Good chance that if paired with no-till, they could be rewarded in any or all of the following....yield gains, better drought tolerance, minimized ponding, fuel savings, and on and on and on.