Managing Cover Crops Profitably THIRD EDITION
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USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map Agricultural Research Service USDA Managing Cover Crops Profitably THIRD EDITION Handbook Series Book 9 Published by the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program, with funding from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture Third Printing - June 2012 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Managing Cover Crops Profitably, Third Edition, was pub- Managing cover crops profitably / project manager and lished in 2007 by the Sustainable Agriculture Research and editor, Andy Clark.—3rd ed. Education (SARE) program under cooperative agreements p. cm. -- (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education with the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA, (SARE) program handbook series ; bk. 9) the University of Maryland and the University of Vermont. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-888626-12-4 (pbk.) Every effort has been made to make this book as accurate as 1. Cover crops—United States—Handbooks, manuals, etc. possible and to educate the reader. This text is only a guide, I. Clark, Andy. II. Sustainable Agriculture Research & however, and should be used in conjunction with other infor- Education (SARE) program mation sources on farm management. No single cover crop management strategy will be appropriate and effective for all SB284.3.U6M36 2007 conditions. The editor/authors and publisher disclaim any lia- 631.5'82—dc22 bility, loss or risk, personal or otherwise, which is incurred as 2007024273 a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and applica- tion of any of the contents of this book. Cover photos (clockwise from top left): Jeff Moyer, farm manager for The Rodale Institute, kills a hairy Mention, visual representation or inferred reference of a vetch cover crop with a newly designed, front-mounted product, service, manufacturer or organization in this publi- roller while a no-till planter drops seed corn behind the cation does not imply endorsement by the USDA, the SARE tractor. Photo by Matthew Ryan for the Rodale Institute. program or the authors. Exclusion does not imply a negative evaluation. Annual ryegrass overseeded into kale is already providing cover crop benefits before cash crop harvest. Photo by SARE works to increase knowledge about—and help farmers Vern Grubinger, Univ. of VT. and ranchers adopt—practices that are profitable, environ- Guihua Chen, a Univ. of MD graduate student, studies the mentally sound and good for communities. For more informa- ability of forage radish to alleviate soil compaction. Photo by tion about SARE grant opportunities and informational Ray Weil, Univ. of MD. resources, go to www.sare.org. SARE Outreach is the national outreach arm of SARE. For more information, contact: A winter smother crop of yellow mustard minimizes weed growth in a vineyard. Photo by Jack Kelly Clark, Univ. of CA. SARE Outreach “Purple Bounty” hairy vetch, an early-maturing, winter hardy 1122 Patapsco Building variety for the Northeast, was developed by Dr. Tom Devine, University of Maryland USDA-ARS in collaboration with The Rodale Institute, College Park, MD 20742-6715 Pennsylvania State University and Cornell University (301) 405-8020 Agricultural Experiment Stations. Photo by Greg Bowman, (301) 405-7711 (fax) NewFarm.org. [email protected] www.sare.org Red clover, frostseeded into winter wheat, is well established just prior to wheat harvest. Photo by Steve Deming, To order copies of this book, ($19.00 plus $5.95 s/h) MSU Kellogg Biological Station. contact (301) 374-9696, [email protected], or order online at www.sare.org/WebStore. Back cover photo: Sorghum-sudangrass increased irrigated potato yield and tuber quality in Colorado, whether it was Project manager and editor: Andy Clark harvested for hay or incorporated prior to potato planting. Graphic design and layout: Diane Buric Photo by Jorge A. Delgado, USDA-ARS. Interior illustrations: Marianne Sarrantonio and Elayne Sears Copy editing: Andy Clark Printed in the United States of America on recycled paper. Proofreading: Aneeqa Chowdhury Indexing: Claire Brannen Printing: United Book Press, Inc. FOREWORD over crops slow erosion, improve soil, results and updated farmer profiles and research smother weeds, enhance nutrient and data throughout. We also added two new chapters. Cmoisture availability, help control many Brassicas and Mustards (p. 81) lays out the pests and bring a host of other benefits to your current theory and management of cover crops in farm. At the same time, they can reduce costs, the BRASSICACEAE family. Brassica cover crops are increase profits and even create new sources of thought to play a role in management of nema- income. You’ll reap dividends on your cover crop todes, weeds and disease by releasing chemical investments for years, because their benefits accu - compounds from decomposing residue. Results mulate over the long term. are promising but inconsistent. Try brassicas on Increasing energy costs will have a profound small plots and consult local expertise for addi- effect on farm economics in coming years. As we tional information. go to press, it is impossible to predict how fast Managing Cover Crops in Conservation energy costs will increase, but since cover crop Tillage Systems (p. 44) addresses the management economics are rooted in nitrogen dynamics (how complexities of reduced tillage systems. If you are much N you save or produce with cover crops), already using cover crops, the chapter will help fuel costs (the cost of N and trips across the field) you reduce tillage. If you are already using con- and commodity prices, energy prices will certain- servation tillage, it shows you how to add or bet- ly impact the economics of cover crop use. ter manage cover crops. Cover crops and Economic comparisons in the 2nd edition were conservation tillage team up to reduce energy use based on the old economy of two-dollar corn, on your farm and that means more profits. twenty-cent nitrogen and cheap gas. Some studies We have tried to include enough information showed that cover crops become more profitable for you to select and use cover crops appropriate as the price of nitrogen increases. We retained to your operation. We recommend that you define some of these excellent studies because data from your reasons for growing a cover crop—the sec - new studies is not yet available. What we do know tion, Selecting the Best Cover Crops for Your is that cover crops can help you to increase yields, Farm (p. 12) can help with this—and take as save on nitrogen costs, reduce trips across the field much care in selecting and managing cover crops and also reap many additional agronomic benefits. as you would a cash crop. There is a cover crop to fit just about every Regional and site-specific factors can compli cate farming situation. The purpose of this book is to cover crop management. No book can ade quately help you find which ones are right for you. address all the variables that make up a crop pro- Farmers around the country are increasingly duction system. Before planting a cover crop, learn looking at the long-term contributions of cover as much as you can from this book and talk to oth- crops to their whole farm system. Some of the ers who are experienced with that cover crop. most successful are those who have seen the ben- We hope that this updated and expand ed edi- efits and are committed to making cover crops tion of Managing Cover Crops Profitably will work for them. They are re-tooling their cropping lead to the successful use of cover crops on a systems to better fit cover crop growth patterns, wider scale as we continue to increase the sus- rather than squeezing cover crops into their exist- tainability of our farming systems. ing system, time permitting. This 3rd edition of Managing Cover Crops Andy Clark, Communications Director Profitably aims to capture farmer and other Sustainable Agriculture Research and research results from the past ten years. We verified Education (SARE) the information from the 2nd edition, added new June, 2007 FOREWORD 3 MANAGING COVER CROPS PROFITABLY THIRD EDITION Foreword . 3 Buckwheat . 90 Acknowledgments. 5 Oats . 93 How to Use this Book . 7 • Oats, Rye Feed Soil in Benefits of Cover Crops . 9 Corn/Bean Rotation. 96 Selecting the Best Cover Crops Rye . 98 for Your Farm. 12 • Cereal Rye: Cover Crop Workhorse . 102 Building Soil Fertility and Tilth • Rye Smothers Weeds Before Soybeans . 104 with Cover Crops . 16 Sorghum Sudangrass Hybrids . 106 • Cover Crops Can Stabilize Your Soil. 19 • Summer Covers Relieve Compaction. 110 • How Much N? . 22 Winter Wheat. 111 Managing Pests with Cover Crops . 25 • Wheat Boosts Income and • Georgia Cotton, Peanut Farmers Soil Protection . 113 Use Cover Crops to Control Pests . 26 • Wheat Offers High-Volume • Select Covers that Balance Pests, Weed Control Too . 114 Problems of Farm . 30 Overview of Legume Cover Crops . 116 Crop Rotations with Cover Crops . 34 Cover Crop Mixtures Expand • Full-Year Covers Tackle Tough Weeds . 38 Possibilities . 117 • Start Where You Are . 41 Berseem Clover . 118 Managing Cover Crops in Conservation • Nodulation: Match Inoculant to Tillage Systems. 44 Maximize N . 122 • After 25 Years, Improvements Cowpeas . 125 Keep Coming . 52 • Cowpeas Provide Elegant Solution Introduction to Charts. 62 to Awkward Niche . 128 Chart 1: Top Regional Cover Crop Species . 66 Crimson Clover . 130 Chart 2: Performance and Roles. 67 Field Peas . 135 Chart 3A: Cultural Traits . 69 • Peas Do Double Duty for Kansas Chart 3B: Planting. 70 Farmer . 140 Chart 4A: Potential Advantages. 71 Hairy Vetch. 142 Chart 4B: Potential Disadvantages.. 72 • Cover Crop Roller Design Holds Promise for No-Tillers. 146 COVER CROP SPECIES • Vetch Beats Plastic . 150 Overview of Nonlegume Cover Crops . 73 Medics . 152 Annual Ryegrass. 74 • Jess Counts on GEORGE for N and Barley .