Cover Crops

Orchard with mustard cover crop
Figure 1. A comparison of bare ground vs. cover crop for two adjacent almond orchards after receiving 3/4-inch of rain. The grower, Donny Hicks, used mustards to breakup compaction and improve infiltration in his orchard soil. (Photo courtesy Donny Hicks)

The Soil Health Exchange: Natural Solutions to Soil Compaction — Beyond Mechanical Means and Cover Crops

October 5, 2023
Soil health experts share techniques for reducing soil compaction without the use of long-term cover crops.

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Tractor with seeder in field

Growing Results: Cover Crop Interseeding

September 28, 2023
Partnering with Nebraska On-Farm Research Network, North Platte farmer Cameron Kolling is conducting research this year on interseeding a variety of cover crops in corn.

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Vesh Raj Thapa stands near soil sample display
Vesh Raj Thapa, UNL post-doctoral research assistant, stands behind root samples from the plots at WREEC in North Platte. (Photo by Chabella Guzman)

Roots, Another Important Aspect of Cover Crops

September 19, 2023
Researchers involved in a UNL-USDA NRCS study on cover crops highlight the importance of species selection, as each type of cover crop has a unique root system that contributes differently to soil health.

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Cattle grazing field
Cattle grazing cereal rye cover crop near Tecumseh. (CropWatch file photo)

Pasture and Forage Minute: Planning Cover Crops, Testing Hay Quality and Nitrate Management

September 12, 2023
Tips on selecting and planting cover crops, managing nitrate risks while grazing annuals, and preparing hay samples for testing.

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Cover crop field at WCREEC
Cover crop plots at the UNL West Central Research Extension and Education Center in North Platte. (Photo by Chabella Guzman)

Cover Crops a Focus at Annual WREEC Water and Crops Field Day

September 1, 2023
Producers at the field day swapped ideas and observations about cover crop production, and heard from extension educators and agronomists about best practices for their agricultural regions.

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Cover crop field
If you don’t grow something, Mother Nature will. The hairy vetch cover crop is suppressing weeds on the left compared to the no cover crop treatment on the right.

2023 Cover Crop and Soil Health Field Day

August 31, 2023
The Sept. 19 event will feature research updates on Rogers Memorial Farm's 43-year tillage study, cover crop selection and performance, and more.

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Software equipment in implement
Producers, industry representatives and researchers are invited to attend the field day in North Platte, which will feature the latest technologies and practices in agriculture.

West Central to Host 19th Annual Water and Crops Field Day

August 4, 2023
This free field day will feature producer and industry panels on covers crops and USDA's Climate Smart Initiatives, as well as field tours and demos on irrigation sensing tools, cover crops, western bean cutworm and drones in pesticide application.

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Hairy vetch

Influence of Cover Crop Species and Termination Time on N Release

August 1, 2023
Results of a UNL study evaluating the impact of cereal rye and hairy vetch cover crop termination times on their decomposition and nitrogen release.

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