Importance of cover crops at Soil Workshop

The Edmunds County Conservation District hosted a spring soil health workshop on March 22, 2023, at the Edmunds County 4-H Building.

The afternoon brought local farmers and ranchers together to expand their knowledge of cover crops and the importance of diversifying a corn and soybean cropping rotation. Planting rye or other cover crops helps the growers implement soil health practices while also adding forage opportunities for those with livestock.

Guest presenters for the workshop included Jason Miller, the Area NRCS Agronomist, and Dustin Christofferson, AGTEGRA's Bowdle Agronomy and Innovation Center Manager. Both speakers shared data portraying the effects of different diversification options yet acknowledged the challenges that come along with expanding a crop rotation.

By adding rye to a cropping rotation, producers keep a living root in the ground for a longer period of time and have soil cover to prevent erosion. Rye will also help reduce evaporation and increase water infiltration. Covering the soil can also reduce herbicide usage by shading the ground and reducing weed pressure. However, rye needs to be properly managed. If rye is not terminated in a timely manner, the growth and amount of residue can decrease yields or prevent the producer from planting a cash crop into the field that spring.

The idea that soil acts as a bank of nutrients was a common theme. By being conscious of soil nutrient levels and microbial activity, the soil can perform at a higher level, saving the producer money on additional fertility inputs. By implementing soil health practices such as diversifying crop rotations, keeping the ground covered, limiting disturbance, keeping living roots, and integrating livestock, natural deposits are being made to the soil bank.

Dustin encouraged producers to start small and not take it on all at once. Trying to make many changes at once will cause more frustration for the producer. He also talked about the value of setting goals for how you want to make a change. By setting specific, timely, and relevant goals, the producer has a better understanding of what needs to be done to accomplish the goal and can clearly state when that goal has been achieved. This also makes it easier for your agronomist and other industry leaders to better serve you when they know the specific goal you have in mind.

Attendees enjoyed the afternoon visiting with other producers and listening to the knowledge shared by presenters. The district was excited to have a great turn out for the event after not being able to host a workshop the previous few years. The public is welcome to contact the Conservation District to learn more about the topic or share resource concerns.