1. Cover Crop Management and Equipment Considerations
Louisiana Soil Health and Cover Crop Conference
Alexandria, LA
January 24, 2018
Kip Balkcom
Research Agronomist
Conservation Systems Research
USDA-ARS, NSDL
Auburn, AL

2. Courtesy: Harry Schomberg, USDA-ARS
What is a Cover Crop?
A crop whose main purpose is to benefit the soil and/or a subsequent crop in one or more ways, but is not intended to be harvested for feed or sale.
A cover crop is a crop whose main purpose is to benefit the soil or other crops in one or more ways, but is not intended to be harvested for feed or sale.
Courtesy: Harry Schomberg, USDA-ARS

3. High Residue Cover Crop
I mentioned the second component of conservation systems for us is using a high residue cover crop. Based on the gentleman standing in the back, you can see we try to promote a lot of growth. Rye is a very popular choice for us due to its adaptability to many soil types, biomass potential, and resistance to decomposition. In addition to the aboveground portion, the root system helps to minimize hard pan formation and help break up existing hard pans.

4. Maximize Biomass Benefits
Soil fertility and pH
Quality seed
Inoculate legumes – specific, fresh /coated
Plant early
Good stand establishment
Terminate late
Maximizing biomass is the most important factor determining whether a cover crop is cost-effective or not. Low amounts of biomass provides limited protection against runoff and erosion and does not shade the soil sufficiently to inhibit weed growth or decrease evaporation from the soil surface. For legumes, low biomass production results in limited nitrogen additions to the soil.
Factors important for maximizing biomass production in cover crops are similar to those important for enhancing yield in crops grown for sale. These factors include proper soil fertility, good quality seed, and proper inoculation with rhizobia for legumes.
Planting a cover crop early and waiting until it reaches full growth to terminate it back ensures that the cover crop provides the maximum biomass. High biomass production by leguminous cover crops provides optimal nitrogen fixation. For all cover crops, high biomass production provides a heavy mulch residue for extended weed control and moisture retention. It also maximizes the amount of nutrients available for decomposition and eventual uptake by crop plants.
In normal years, high biomass provides the most benefits; however you will want to modify your management in dry years and terminate earlier, so that the cover crop does not deplete water needed by the primary crop.

5. Stand Establishment
Drilling
Photo courtesy of Joel Love, UF

6. Stand Establishment
Broadcast
Photos courtesy of Ronnie Barentine, UGA

7. Stand Establishment
Vertical Tillage

8. Stand Establishment
6 ° Gang Angle
0 ° Gang Angle X

9. Timely Planting Pictures taken Dec. 15
Photos courtesy of Ronnie Barentine, UGA

10. Cover Crop Fertilization
Fertilized
Non-fertilized

11. Time of Termination
Prattville, AL

12. Termination: Mechanical

13. Roller Designs

14. Roller + Tillage Combine operations
Rolling the cover crop and performing strip tillage simultaneously.

15. Planter Attachments

16. Conservation Systems Research
More information available at:
Website:
Subscribe to mailing list:
Contact info: Kip Balkcom
USDA-ARS
411 S. Donahue Dr.
Auburn, AL 36832