Soil Health

Soil health is becoming a larger and more important part of every farm’s operation. Within the Basin, improving soil health has been highlighted as one of the key elements to reaching water quality goals.

When it comes to improving soil health, there are five key elements known as the Principles of Soil Health. These principles are

  • Keeping the Soil Covered
  • Reducing Disruptions
  • Continuous Living Roots
  • Integrating Livestock
  • Increasing Biodiversity

Regenerative practices like cover crops, no-till, nutrient management, LDMA, and grazing, among others, can help to accomplish the principles. These regenerative practices come together to form soil that is stronger and more resilient to erosion and runoff, helping to improve water quality.

Cover Crops

Like soil health as a whole, cover crops are becoming a more integrated part of conventional agriculture. Cover crops are used to keep soil on the field, reduce erosion, and minimize nutrient leaching. This is done by covering the soil with vegetation and having living roots in the ground, securing the soil in place. Another benefit to cover crops is additional biodiversity both below and above ground. Adding a cover crop into a farm’s rotation creates a habitat for soil organisms.

  • Reduces Soil Erosion and Nutrient Loss

  • Increases Biodiversity

  • Creates Habitat for Soil Organisms and Wildlife

  • Improves Water Quality

  • Builds Soil Organic Matter and Structure

  • Reduced Inputs and Weed Pressure

Cover Crop Application Styles

When it comes to utilizing cover crops, figuring out which method to apply can be a little daunting. Here is a breakdown of the various methods to help you choose the right one.

What is it?

Drill seeding is done following the harvest of a row crop. A no-till drill or grain drill can be used to plant the cover crop once the row crop is harvested.

Why?

  • Drilling has become one of the most common and preferred cover crop planting methods
  • This style of seeding is also the “neatest” and creates the most uniform plantings
  • Drilling is one of the best options for larger seeds and seeds that need to be buried deep
  • Drilling can help increase germination as all seeds are guaranteed to have seed to soil contact
  • One major downfall of drill seeding is how late in the season it needs to be done. Because you need to wait until cash crops are harvested, seeding normally cannot happen until late September or October. This leaves few species that will successfully establish this late in the season.

Best Species: Most over crop species, but especially grains and grasses, peas, vetch, sunflowers, other large-seeded spp.

What is it?

Broadcast seeding, sometimes called aerial seeding or overseeding, is done by broadcasting the cover crop seed over a field with a standing row crop like corn or soybeans, rather than drilling the seed into the ground once the row crop is harvested. In order for germination to be successful with broadcasting, there needs to be adequate soil moisture. If soil moisture is low, seeding can be followed with incorporation. It is recommended to up the amount of seed used by 10% when broadcasting. Recent innovations in technology have led to an interesting advancement in using drones to broadcast seed cover crops. Read more here. Broadcasting can also be accomplished with airplanes flying on seed, a broadcast seeder, or a highboy.

Why?

  • Broadcasting should only be done if there is a very good chance of rain in the days following planting. Without rain following planting, germination will not be successful
  • Broadcasting allows for a season extension on cover crop planting
  • Great way to get seed on the ground before a row crop is harvested.
  • Broadcasting is normally done in late August to early September, giving a few weeks to months of extra growing time for cover crops

Best Species: species with small seeds, like brassicas, clovers, and annual rye

What is it?

Interseeding is planting cover crops between rows of cash crops (normally corn or soybeans) before the canopy closes. For corn, interseeding can be done from V2-V6 stages, but it works best when done by V4. The cover crop will start growing while the canopy of the row crop is open. Once the canopy closes, the cover crop will go dormant until the row crop is harvested. Once the row crop is off the field, the cover crop will receive enough light to break out of dormancy and start growing again.

Why:

  • Traditionally, cover crops are planted following the harvest of a row crop. This leaves a very short planting and growing window for cover crops. Interseeding expands that growing window by months
  • Interseeding is a great way to get a season extension for cover crops and allows you to add a diverse mix into a dairy rotation.
  • It is a great option to add diversity to a field

Best Species: annual rye, red clover, crimson clover, hairy vetch, kale, cow peas, faba beans, turnips, and radish (in small amounts)


What is it?

Living mulch and interseeding are incredibly similar, with the main difference being that living mulch is a perennial cover that lasts for multiple seasons. Living mulch uses low-growing and perennial cover crops to form a mat between rows of cash crops. It is commonly planted in the fall before row crops will be planted into it. In spring, the living mulch is mowed and/or sprayed with herbicide to cause it to go into dormancy but the plant does not die. It will remain dormant until the cash crop is harvested. Once the living mulch receives light after harvest, it will begin growing again.

Why?

  • Provides perennial continuous soil cover
  • Living mulch creates the opportunity for fields to be in a state of perennial cover 365 days a year, for multiple years.
  • Living mulch out competes and suppresses weed pressures, helps improve soil water retention, increases soil health
  • If a legume is used, adds nitrogen.

Best Species: white clover, red clover, perennial medic spp.

What is it?

Frost seeding is a method of cover crop planting where cover crop seed is broadcasted on a field or pasture in late winter, typically late February through early March. Through freeze-thaw cycles, the seeds get incorporated into the soil.

Why?

  • Frost seeding allows farmers to get cover crops planted during a slightly slower time of year
  • This seeding method works best with small, cold hardy seeds

Best Species: white and red clover, perennial rye

What is it? Planting green refers to planting a cash or row crop into a living cover crop. Commonly, this is done by planting into a cover crop in spring that has successfully overwintered. There are a few ways to go about this.

1. After planting the cash crop, the cover crop is terminated with herbicide.

2. Before/at time of planting the cash crop, the living cover crop can be crimped using a roller crimper. This method involves a little more nuance. Getting success, even termination of the cover crop can be challenging.

Why?

  • Planting green allows farmer to reduce the number of passes by terminating and planting all in one go
  • Planting green takes some of the guesswork out of termination timing. By terminating at or shortly after planting, there is much little time where the field is left without a growing crop
  • It can help manage weed pressure and reduce erosion.

Best Species: annual rye, perennial rye, winter wheat, and triticale

Soil Health Links

USDA Resources

Local Resources

Cover Crop Links

Resouces

Seed Information

Management