The overall aim of this research is to provide information that may help change the mindset about cover crop management just doing the minimum to qualify for payments to managing for maximum cover crop benefits for soil health and profitability. The objectives intend to document the benefits and/or problems of planting earlier and killing later, and develop and test strategies and technologies for establishing cover crops earlier, including airplane seeding, early maturing crop cultivars, and inter-seeding with ground equipment and letting them grow longer in spring, including planting green. Potential benefits include greater nutrient cycling, better weed suppression, more effective water-conserving and increased soil organic matter and biological activity.
Key Benefactors:
farmers, agronomists, Extension agents, NGOs