Fall Cover Crop Benefits

Application season for chemicals is all but wrapped up. I think most everyone I’ve talked to has been looking forward to having a little break ahead of harvest. Overall, crops look very good in my area. Some have received good quantities of rain for late July and early August.

I wanted to take some time today to discuss fall cover crops. Later this month some silage corn will start to come out and before we know it harvest on soybeans will be coming up as well. Cover crops have been growing in popularity every year in my area and it seems they have a very good fit in our geography. Cover crops can be as simple as a rye or wheat cereal grain, or as complex as a multi-species mix that provides erosion control, fixes nitrogen, and helps break up compaction.

Many cattle producers in my area have seen the benefits of cover crops as well. Your livestock are able to graze in early season before planting, so cover crops provide some extra pasture.

There are also cost share opportunities through the NRCS and some private entities that can help growers get past some of the seed cost for this practice.  At SFG we stock a full line of cereal grains as well as brassicas, and we would be happy to assist you to get the right cover crop mix for your operation.