This article was written by Anna Cates, UMN state soil health specialist, Liz Stahl, Extension educator and Axel Garcia y Garcia, Assistant Professor
Wondering how to do cover crops? UMN Extension, in collaboration with
the Midwest Cover Crops Council (MCCC), has produced cover crop
“recipes” for two scenarios: Post corn, going to soybean and Post
soybean, going to corn.
The recipes are intended to provide step-by-step guidance to some of the
lowest-risk starting points for cover crops. They don’t cover the whole
spectrum of possibilities, but they can help beginners get most pieces
in place to incorporate cover crops into a farm operation. The two
recipes were developed to address Minnesota’s most common crop cropping
system, the corn/soybean rotation.
The “Post corn, going to soybean” recipe suggests cereal rye, which provides an overwintering ground cover. Soybeans often thrive when planted into standing dead or living cereal rye residue. The “Post soybean, going to corn”recipe suggests oats, which will winterkill and leave a smaller amount of residue in the corn seedbed the following year.
In addition to protecting soil from erosion and building soil organic matter, cover crops can take up excess nitrate left after a cash crop, reducing nitrogen loads in surface or groundwater.
Talking with UMN Extension, NRCS, or Soil and Water Conservation District employees about what’s working locally can also help set new cover crop users up for success.
The recipes can be found on the MCCC website, which also includes detailed information about many common cover crop species and links to other resources. Minnesota is one of 13 states and provinces represented on the MCCC , a collaborative group with the goal of supporting broad adoption of cover crops across the midwest. Funding for the recipe project was provided by the McKnight Foundation.
Extension Educator Liz Stahl led the recipe development with Anna Cates, Axel Garcia y Garcia, and Scotty Wells, Extension agronomist.
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| Cereal rye interseeded into corn. |
The “Post corn, going to soybean” recipe suggests cereal rye, which provides an overwintering ground cover. Soybeans often thrive when planted into standing dead or living cereal rye residue. The “Post soybean, going to corn”recipe suggests oats, which will winterkill and leave a smaller amount of residue in the corn seedbed the following year.
In addition to protecting soil from erosion and building soil organic matter, cover crops can take up excess nitrate left after a cash crop, reducing nitrogen loads in surface or groundwater.
Talking with UMN Extension, NRCS, or Soil and Water Conservation District employees about what’s working locally can also help set new cover crop users up for success.
The recipes can be found on the MCCC website, which also includes detailed information about many common cover crop species and links to other resources. Minnesota is one of 13 states and provinces represented on the MCCC , a collaborative group with the goal of supporting broad adoption of cover crops across the midwest. Funding for the recipe project was provided by the McKnight Foundation.
Extension Educator Liz Stahl led the recipe development with Anna Cates, Axel Garcia y Garcia, and Scotty Wells, Extension agronomist.