Cover Crops In Hillside Agriculture

Cover Crops in Hillside Agriculture: Farmer innovation with Mucuna

Cover crops slow erosion, improve soil, smother weeds, enhance nutrient and moisture availability, help control many pests and bring a host of other benefits to your farm. At the same time, they can reduce costs, increase profits and even create new sources of income. You¿ll reap dividends on your cover crop investments for years, since their benefits accumulate over the long term. This book will help you find which ones are right for you. Captures farmer and other research results from the past ten years. The authors verified the info. from the 2nd ed., added new results and updated farmer profiles and research data, and added 2 chap. Includes maps and charts, detailed narratives about individual cover crop species, and chap. about aspects of cover cropping.

This book will not serve as the "encyclopedia of cover crop management," but it’s close. The benefits of a wide range of individual cover crops and blends/mixes for specific agronomic crop rotations and geographic locations are included. Descriptions, photographs, and illustrations show how cover crops look in the field, including plant height, leaf architecture, and rooting patterns. Long term benefits are described for soil health, soil structure, water quality, nutrient contributions, soil biodiversity, air quality and climate change. In addition to the "whys" of cover crop use, the book includes details on the "hows:" how to choose cover crops for specific applications and locations; how (and when) to plant; how to manage and maintain the cover for maximum benefit; and how and when to terminate. Planting options include: drilling/planting between rows of an agronomic crop at planting time, or when the crop is short (i.e. corn in early June); "aerial" seeding with an airplane or high-clearance machine shortly before the crop reaches maturity; and drilling/planting immediately after harvest of the agronomic crop. Selected cover crops (blends) can help with pest and disease management. Cover crops are an economic input with an expected return on investment, similar to pesticides and fertilizer. As part of a continuous no-till system, cover crops provide long-term biological, chemical and structural benefits. The resulting increase in soil organic matter means the agronomic crop yields benefit from better water infiltration and water holding capacity, greater availability of nitrogen and other nutrients, deeper rooting, and increased soil microbial activity in the root zone.

What is soil health and why is it so important? In short, healthy soil allows farmers to continue to produce our food safely and inexpensively, so it is vitally important to all of us and generations to come. Cover Cropping in Western Canada provides essential information for farmers who want to increase the fertility of their fields for increased production. While cover cropping is, as the author states, “not a silver bullet,” it is an important part of a whole system approach that can play a central part in bringing agricultural fields renewed health. For those who haven’t considered cover cropping, this easy-to-read reference guide offers basic information about the common issues that impact agricultural land and some strategies to improve its health. For those who are ready to consider cover cropping options, this compact reference guide provides detailed data about sixty-one species that can be planted to fulfill the producer’s goals. To complement goals and species selection, Cover Cropping in Western Canada discusses options for grain farming, benefits of grazing and generating hay and silage, the role cover crops can play in erosion control, nutrient building, nitrogen fixation, weed suppression, and more. Cover Cropping in Western Canada will help producers incorporate cover cropping into their production systems with confidence. The references discussed are observations from Western Canada but can be applied anywhere. Producers will understand how to set goals, pick appropriate species to meet those goals, and create a management plan to effectively integrate cover crops into their rotations. This is a must-have reference for producers who want to increase soil health and to help control greenhouse gas emissions.

The handbook describes primary cover crop species, including grasses, legumes, mustards and other cool-season and warm-season options. Photos, seeding details, winter vigor descriptions, nitrogen fixation and scavenging, weed suppression and nematode resistance are included for each species. In addition to assisting with crop selection, this handbook addresses the effects of cover cropping on water management, pest management and farm economics. For California growers, the handbook also discusses differences in cover crop use for the Central Valley, Desert and Coastal regions. Chapters include: Botany and Species Selection Agricultural Soil Ecology Water Management and Impacts on Water Quality Soil Nitrogen Fertility Management Weeds Soilborne Pathogens

Cover Crops in West Africa Contributing to Sustainable Agriculture