Cover Crops

Midwest Cover Crops Council Annual Conference Is Feb. 11-12 in Kansas City

January 23, 2020
The 2020 Midwest Cover Crops Council Annual Conference has been scheduled for February 11-12, 2020, at the KCI Expo Center in Kansas City, MO. Both days are open to the public.

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Cover image of NebGuide G2314

New Introductory Cover Crop Guides Cater to Nebraska

November 8, 2019
Two new guides from the Midwest Cover Crops Council and Nebraska Extension offer key "how to" information for growers interested in integrating cover crops into their traditional corn-soybean rotation.

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Grazing Cover Crop Workshops at 4 Sites in November

October 31, 2019
Local farmers and ranchers with experience grazing cover crops on row crop acres will be among the speakers at Grazing Cover Workshops to be held at four sites in November.

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This a cereal rye cover crop at the threshold (1,000 lb/ac) biomass level. It is about 6-8 inches tall (April 13, 2017 at the south-central Nebraska site).
Figure 1. This cereal rye cover crop is at the threshold (1,000 lb/ac) biomass level. It is about 6-8 inches tall (April 13, 2017 at the south-central Nebraska site).

Optimum Planting Times to Establish Cover Crops Following Corn

September 16, 2019
Results from a UNL study assessing biomass production of two cover crops (cereal rye alone or a cereal rye mix) planted either pre-corn harvest or post-corn harvest at three sites in eastern Nebraska.

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high boy seeder

High-boy Cover Crop Seeding Demonstration

September 9, 2019
A high-boy cover crop seeding demonstration will be held Friday, Sept. 20, in northeast Nebraska to look at another option for planting cover crops pre-harvest to provide a longer period for plant development and biomass growth.

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Cover crops
Figure 1. Cover crops planted after wheat harvest at the Daryl Obermeyer Farm east of Auburn in Nemaha County. On the left are oats plus turnips and radishes. On the right are turnips and radishes and cereal rye. The brassicas (turnips and radishes) out-compete the cereal rye in late summer. (Photo by Gary Lesoing)

Cover Crop Field Tour Sept. 17 in Nemaha County

September 4, 2019
A Cover Crop Field Tour of three sites in Nemaha County will look at how cover crops are being used and what the early yield and biomass data are showing. A soil pit at one site will also offer insights into longer-term soil health benefits.

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Cover crop demonstration plots at the Rogers Memorial Farm
Cover crops help suppress weeds as shown here with a grain sorghum cover crop growing in wheat stubble on the left compared to no cover crop on the right. If you don’t grow something, Mother Nature will. The field day will show some of the benefits of using cover crops to control weeds, including marestail and Palmer amaranth.

Cover Crop Field Day Sept. 13 at UNL Rogers Memorial Farm

August 30, 2019
This tour will feature cover crop cocktails that serve specific functions as well as cover crops growing in wheat stubble, cover crop recovery after simulated grazing, and row crops growing in the residue from cover crops.

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Hailed corn field
Figure 1. Severely hail-damaged corn field where the ears are the top-most part of the plant. Following severe hail damage, cover crops can offer a variety of benefits from using available nitrogen to aiding weed control. (Photos by Jenny Rees)

Cover Crop Considerations Following Late-Season Hail

August 29, 2019
Late-season hail has impacted fields across Nebraska. Growers may want to consider the value of cover crops for weed management, excess nitrogen uptake, and forage options.

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