b'COVER CROP CORNERWhy Cover Cropping is the Future of FarmingALL INDUSTRIES HAVE seen major productionCover crops are going to play a large role in future advancements over the years. Whether its utilizingagriculture management. Itll be the exception, rather new technologies or developing new operatingthan the rule, to see a field without a green cover crop strategies with the goal to improve production orgrowing. This may require some genetic tweaking on reduce operating costs, the intent is always to increasebehalf of humans for difficult situations and climates net income. (like breeding heat- and drought-tolerant cover crops), Today, many of these strategies are technology- but many current cover crops are suitable for this and based. Variable rate application, GPS guidance,widely available on the market as seed.genomics technology and drones are some of theStill, breeding new generations of cover crops will KEVIN ELMY,current drivers of change. That said, there is a trend tobecome an even bigger industry. Species will be is founder of Covergo back to some older agronomy methods, in particulardeveloped either as plant selections or ecovars thatll Crops Canada. His book Covercover cropping and intercropping. be included in blends as new species for cover crop Cropping inCover cropping and intercropping go back centuries.uses. These will come more from the perennial forb Western Canada is available throughThey began to disappear at the turn of the 20th centuryplant group. This group today is an under-represented Friesen Press,with the advent of synthetic fertilizer. It was easier togroup of plants that we use in our cropping systems, Amazon, and digitally throughuse synthetic fertilizer, but soil degradation was theyet they play a large role in soil health and adding plant Apple Books,result. diversity.Kindle, and Google Play. For moreNow, with increased publicity about cover cropping,Drones will be utilized to apply seed. These drones info on Coverpeople are curious about future potential in this area.will be able to test the soil monitoring fungal: bacterial Crops Canada visit covercrops.ca Elaine Ingham, an American microbiologist and soilratios, soil nitrates, soil moisture, and photosynthetic biology researcher who co-authored the United Statesrates to be able to seed a multi-species cover crop with Department of Agricultures (USDA) Soil Biologyspecies that are required at each spot within the field. Primer, suggests we have up to 1,500 years of nutritionThis process will be repeated throughout the year.in our soils. Seed coatings will have their place. Seed coatings That is, if we just took from the soil without addingwill allow seed to be placed in the soil with delayed any nutrients and were able to take all the plantgermination. This will allow a one-pass seeding of cash needed, most soils will be able to supply plant growthcrop and cover crop but allowing the cash crop to get a for 1,500 years. By using mulches, animal manure andhead start.compost we will be able to extend that dramatically.Theres a spot for genetic manipulation in the The way these nutrients are made available is throughsystem. Having the option to turn genes on and off natural weathering of the soil and microbial activity. has potential of helping cover crop plants grow, but When we have a nutrient deficiency, we normallykeeping them in the vegetative stage, not allowing have a microbial deficiency, assuming the soil hasntthem to go to their reproductive stage. This would keep eroded and its not a mobile nutrient like nitrogen.the root exudates in a form that continues to feed the Using strategies that involve compostinga commonsoil biology.benefit of cover crops and intercroppingcould be aFeedlots will be a thing of the past. Meat animals will good way of replacing nutrient removal beyond the soilbe on the land in conjunction with cropping systems. supply capability. They will still be managed with soil health and animal Jay Fuhrer, a USDA conservationist in North Dakota,gains as targets, another tool of building soil health.notes plants literally create soil by fixing dirt, whichAgriculture, like other industries, is looking and will leads to an active functioning ecosystem. By utilizinglook very different in the future. Rome was not built cover crops and practicing soil health principles we canovernight. Neither will the changes that are on the build soil health. Healthy soils will supply most if nothorizon for cover cropping. all the nutrients the plants need.SPUDSMART.COM Fall 202247'