Clare Lindahl Executive Director Conservation Districts of Iowa Cover bare ground preventing erosion loss of soil from wind amp water Fixes N making it available for succeeding cash crop Keep P amp N in your system ID: 469698
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Slide1
Cover Crops
Clare
Lindahl
Executive Director, Conservation Districts of IowaSlide2
Cover bare ground preventing erosion, loss of soil from wind & water
Fixes N, making it available for succeeding cash crop
Keep P & N in your system
Protects water resourcesReduce fertilizer needs/ costs
Cover Crops:BenefitsSlide3
Improve soil
h
ealth
Enhancing the nutrient system (P & N)Plant & residue conserve soil moistureReduce compaction, encourage infiltrationIncrease organic matter, increase biological activity
Improve yieldsCover Crops:
BenefitsOats
Tillage Radish
Biological activity in soilSlide4
Can suppress
weeds by providing competition, shading &
allelopathic characteristics
Encourage beneficial biological activity/microbial life in soil, discourage diseaseEncourage beneficial insects, prey on pestsReduce need/cost for herbicides & pesticidesCover Crops:
BenefitsSlide5
Provides opportunity for producers with livestock to graze or hay
Opportunities for Iowa businesses
Provides winter food and cover for birds & other wildlife
Cover
Crops:BenefitsSlide6
Research & results specific to Iowa
Quantifying environmental & on farm benefits
Timing & management Species & mixes
Cover Crops:Areas of continued researchSlide7
2011 Resolution to CDI, in place 2012
Allows for Districts to use up to 25% of their IFIP funds for establishment of a cover crop
Up to $25/acresTo be used on the same acres only once
Cover Crops:Assistance
2012
46 Districts participated$277,020.19 was spent 13,068.48 acres installedSlide8
Cost share funds through EQIP
Flat rate per acre
Payment varies by cover crop species usedDifferent initiatives result in payment ranges from $28.71 to $97.54 per acre
Can get it on the same acres every year for a maximum of three consecutive yearsUsually no caps, could be local cap4000 acres (4 years ago) to 50,000 acres last year (Wallaces Farmer)
Cover Crops: AssistanceSlide9
Cover Crops:
Indiana
1 million acres of
cover crops!
INDIANASlide10
To qualify for federal crop insurance on your spring/cash crop:
Crop (other than cover crop) must be terminated before
any of the crop reaches the headed or budded stageCover Crop can not be hayed, grazed or harvested past May 10
Cover Crop must be terminated (herbicide or tillage) before planting spring crop (USDA-RMA, IA, MN & WI, 2013)Cover Crops:Insurance
Contact your crop
insurance agent!Slide11
Lead by example!
Take notes and share your story
Hold or promote Field Days on Cover CropsBring attention to Cover CropsTalk to the private sector about Cover Crop business opportunities
Cover Crops:Promotion
MD -
www.mda.maryland.gov PA-www.lancastereaglegazette.com
Practical Farmers of Iowa (PFI) & Iowa Learning Farms (ILF)Slide12
Think outside the box!
Cover
Crops:
Promotion
OH - farmprogress.com
IN - plantcovercrops.comSlide13
Cover Crops:
Resources
Practical
Farmers of Iowa, www.practicalfarmers.org, select Field Crops (left side of screen), select Cover Crops (first topic in Center of Page)Managing Cover Crops Profitably
Cover Crop Business DirectoryAdding a Cover Crop to a Corn-Soybean System in Iowa (25 minute video)Midwest Cover Crops Council, www.mccc.msu.edu
New Iowa Cover Crop Decision Tools: web-based systems to assist farmers in selecting cover crops to include in field crop and vegetable rotations.Slide14
Thank you!