July 25, 1:00-3:00 | 5998 Bellevue Rd, Royal Oak MD
Hear farmers perspectives about their cover crop experiences; Strategies and tools for cover crop planning; In-field soil quality test demos.
Field-day focused on how to get more benefits out of a cover crop. The host farmer will discuss his experiences and strategies with cover cropping. We will discuss cover crop planning, species selection and management, and practical considerations. We will also have demonstrations of in-field soil quality tests.
The field-day is sponsored by University of Maryland Extension, Million Acre Challenge, Future Harvest, and Sustainable Chesapeake, with funding support from National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Field-day Location: Tuesday July 25, 1:00-3:00 PM at Swaine Farm, 5998 Bellevue Rd, Royal Oak, MD
If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in any event or activity, please contact Sarah Hirsh at least two weeks prior to the event at shirsh@umd.edu.
University programs, activities, and facilities are available to all without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, age, national origin, political affiliation, physical or mental disability, religion, protected veteran status, genetic information, personal appearance, or any other legally protected class.
Sarah Hirsh, Agriculture Agent | shirsh@umd.edu University of Maryland Extension, Somerset County
Cover crops can have various benefits such as scavenging nutrients, adding organic matter or nitrogen to the soil, reducing compaction, or competing with weeds. University of Maryland Extension is now offering a free service to consult with farmers to identify the top needs of their crop fields, and then plan and implement cover crops that will best address those needs. The grant-funded project will provide financial cost-share support for cooperating farmers. This support will complement the support provided by other cost-share programs, such as Maryland Department of Agriculture’s Cover Crop program.
Step 1. Farmer and University of Maryland Extension Ag Agent meet to discuss field conditions and plan cover crops based on specific field needs. For example, discuss:
Rotation and timing of cash crops
Soil and fertility needs
Pest pressures
Step 2. Farmer plants planned cover crops on fields.
Farm located in Caroline, Cecil, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico, or Worcester county.
Fields should be 10-50 acres, with up to 3 fields per farm (max 150 acres per farm).
Grain crop should be in the crop rotation.
Payment details:
Participating farmers will get payment of $45-$75/Acre from MDA program, different rates determined by species and planting and termination dates.
Participating farmers will get additional $30/Acre from our grant project for being part of our research efforts and trying out innovative cover cropping approaches.
To learn more or sign-up, contact Sarah Hirsh (410) 651-1350 | shirsh@umd.edu.
University programs, activities, and facilities are available to all without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, age, national origin, political affiliation, physical or mental disability, religion, protected veteran status, genetic information, personal appearance, or any other legally protected class.
Diversify Your Cover Crops: On-Farm Series – 8:30 am – 10:00 am each day In-person – Eastern Shore, MD Farms
University of Maryland Extension, Future Harvest, Sustainable Chesapeake LEARN MORE & REGISTER HERE
Three Friday field-days focus on how to get more benefits out of a cover crop. Each field-day includes a tour of diversified cover crops fields. The host farmer will discuss his experience planting and managing cover crops. University of Maryland Extension educators will discuss cover crop planning and planning tools available.
Field-day Locations:
Friday March 17 8:30-10:00 AM @ SB Farm, 7010 Hynson Rd, Hurlock, MD
Friday March 24 8:30-10:00 AM @ Wright Farm, 8910 Old Railroad Rd, Hebron, MD
Friday March 31 8:30-10:00 AM @ Lewis Farm, 24790 Dukes Rd, Greensboro, MD
The field-days are sponsored by University of Maryland Extension, Million Acre Challenge, Future Harvest, and Sustainable Chesapeake, with funding support from National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.
This is a free program with a light breakfast included. Maryland nutrient management credit (1 CEU) and Certified Crop Adviser credit (1.5 CEU) will be offered.
If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in any event or activity, please contact Sarah Hirsh at least two weeks prior to the event at shirsh@umd.edu.
New Pandemic Cover Crop Program Helps Producers Continue Cover Crop Systems
Agricultural producers who have coverage under most crop insurance policies are eligible for a premium benefit from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) if they planted cover crops during this crop year. The Pandemic Cover Crop Program (PCCP), offered by USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA), helps farmers maintain their cover crop systems, despite the financial challenges posed by the pandemic.
The PCCP is part of USDA’s Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative, a bundle of programs to bring financial assistance to farmers, ranchers and producers who felt the impact of COVID-19 market disruptions.
“Cultivating cover crops requires a sustained, long-term investment, and the economic challenges of the pandemic made it financially challenging for many producers to maintain cover crop systems,” said RMA Acting Administrator Richard Flournoy. “Producers use cover crops to improve soil health and gain other agronomic benefits, and this program will reduce producers’ overall premium bill to help ensure producers can continue this climates-smart agricultural practice.”
About the Premium Benefit
PCCP provides premium support to producers who insured their spring crop with most insurance policies and planted a qualifying cover crop during the 2021 crop year. The premium support is $5 per acre, but no more than the full premium owed.
Illinois, Indiana and Iowa have existing programs for producers to receive a premium benefit for planting cover crops. In these states, participating producers will receive an additional benefit.
All cover crops reportable to FSA are eligible and include cereals and other grasses, legumes, brassicas and other non-legume broadleaves, and mixtures of two or more cover crop species planted at the same time.
To receive the benefit for this program, producers must file a Report of Acreage form (FSA-578) for cover crops with USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) by June 15, 2021, which is distinct from the normal acreage reporting date. The normal acreage reporting deadline with FSA has not changed, but to receive the premium benefit, producers must file by June 15. The cover crop fields reported on the Report of Acreage form must match what the producer reported to their insurance company for crop insurance policies. To file the form, producers must contact and make an appointment with their local USDA Service Center.
Program Details
Certain policies are not eligible because they have underlying coverage, which would already receive the benefit or are not designed to be reported in a manner consistent with the Report of Acreage form (FSA-578). PCCP is not available for Whole-Farm Revenue Protection, Enhanced Coverage Option, Hurricane Insurance Protection – Wind Index, and Supplemental Coverage Option. Stacked Income Protection (STAX) and Margin Protection (MP) policies are only eligible for PCCP when insured as a standalone policy. STAX and MP endorsements to underlying policies are not eligible for PCCP.
PCCP does not change acreage reporting dates, reporting requirements, or any other terms of the crop insurance policy.
Cover Crop Conservation Practice Standard
Meanwhile, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has made the determination not to update its conservation practice standard for cover crops. NRCS originally proposed restricting mechanical harvest of cover crops, but after reviewing input from agricultural producers and groups, NRCS recognizes this could present challenges for producers who use this important conservation practice. The latest version of the conservation practice standard can be found in the Field Office Technical Guide under Section IV, Conservation Practices and Supporting Documents, by State.
More Information
A Notice of Funding Availability was posted on the Federal Register today. Additional information on PCCP, including frequently asked questions, can be found at farmers.gov/pandemic-assistance/cover-crops.
RMA is authorizing additional flexibilities due to coronavirus while continuing to support producers, working through AIPs to deliver services, including processing policies, claims and agreements. RMA staff are working with AIPs and other customers by phone, mail and electronically to continue supporting crop insurance coverage for producers. Farmers with crop insurance questions or needs should continue to contact their insurance agents about conducting business remotely (by telephone or email). More information can be found at farmers.gov/coronavirus.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.
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Don’t miss this once-a-year opportunity to apply for grants to help offset seed, labor, and equipment costs to plant cover crops in your fields this fall to protect water quality and build your soil’s health. Our grants can make planting cover crops very affordable!
Why Cover Crops
It’s easy to understand why cover crops are so popular. Cover crops recycle nitrogen, reduce erosion, add valuable organic matter to the soil, and can help protect fields from too much and too little rain. Isn’t it time you put cover crops to work in your fields?
New This Year…
The base rate to plant cover crops is $45/acre.
The base rate to aerial seed cover crops is $50/acre.
A $10/acre incentive is available to farmers who plant either rye or a multi-species cover crop.
Mail-in Enrollment
Enrollment will be conducted entirely by mail.
Applications will be mailed to farmers who participated in last year’s cover crop program and can be downloaded here from July 1 through July 16, 2021.
Completed applications must be mailed to the local soil conservation district and postmarked between July 1, 2021 and July 16, 2021.
2021-2022 Overview and Incentive Options
The base payment for incorporated seed is $45/acre. The base rate for aerial/aerial ground seeding is $50/acre.
Incorporated seed qualifies for a $10/acre early planting incentive.
Farmers who aerial seed or aerial ground seed cover crops into standing corn on or before September 10, 2021 qualify for a $10/acre incentive payment.
Farmers who terminate cover crops after May 1, 2022 may be eligible for an Extended Season incentive payment of up to $10/acre.
Incentives are available to plant rye and multi-species cover crops.
Plant cover crops after corn, soybeans, sorghum tobacco, vegetables, hemp and millet.
There is a five acre minimum. Total enrolled acres may not exceed acreage managed under the farm’s current Nutrient Management Plan.
Direct deposit of cost-share grants is available.
Seed Requirements
Purchased seed must be free of prohibited noxious weed seeds, have a minimum germination rate of 80%, and have no more than 16 restricted noxious weeds per pound.
Homegrown seed with a germination rate between 65% and 79% may be used. Certain rules apply.
Cost-share is available for seed testing.
Eligible Cover Crop Species
Cereal Grains: Wheat/spelt, rye, barley, triticale, oats, and ryegrass
Brassicas: Forage radish and canola/rape
Legumes:Clover, Austrian winter peas and hairy vetch (must be planted with a cereal grain as part of a mix)
Cover Crop Mixes
New this year, incentives are available for planting mixes.
Two-species cover crop mixes may be planted at a rate of 50 percent cereal grains and 50 percent brassicas or legumes.
Three-species mixes (50/25/25) must contain a minimum of 50 percent eligible cereal grains.
Planting and Termination Dates
Plant cereal grains by November 5, 2021. Some species have earlier deadlines.
Mixes containing legumes, forage radish, canola/rape, or oats must be planted by October 1, 2021.
The aerial seeding deadline for cover crops is October 10, 2021. Some species have earlier deadlines.
Terminate cover crops between March 1 and June 1, 2022.
Fall Management Options
Eligible cover crops may be grazed or chopped for on-farm livestock forage after becoming well established.
Manure may be applied in fall following Maryland’s nutrient management regulations.
Certification Requirement
To receive payment, farmers must certify cover crops with their soil conservation district within one week of planting and no later than November 12, 2021.
Eligibility Requirements
Participants must be in good standing with MACS and in compliance with Maryland’s nutrient management regulations.
A current Nutrient Management Plan Certification is required and must be submitted with the application.
Additional restrictions may apply.
The Cover Crop Program is administered by the Maryland Agricultural Water Quality Cost-Share Program and funded by the Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fund and the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund. See your soil conservation district representative or contract for details.
Amanda Grev, Pasture and Forage Specialist University of Maryland Extension
The time for silage harvest is either here or soon to be here, which means the subsequent planting of winter forages is quickly approaching and now is the time to be thinking ahead on plans for winter forage plantings. With proper fertilization and management, winter forages can be a high yielding forage crop with as much as 17-20% crude protein and 180+ relative forage quality while also providing environmental benefits in the form of nutrient retention and soil erosion control.
Regardless of your choice of species, there are several steps you can take to boost production and achieve maximum success with these winter forages. One of the biggest things you can do to maximize the benefits of winter forages and increase yield potential the following spring is to use an earlier planting date. The ideal time to plant is typically 10 days to two weeks ahead of the recommended wheat for grain planting date for your region. By planting winter forages in this earlier timeframe, the plants have more time to generate tillers during the fall. When it comes to forage production, more tillers equals greater forage yield. Replicated trials in New York have reported 9 to 11 tillers per seed for earlier plantings of triticale compared to 2 to 5 tillers per seed for later plantings. As a result, winter triticale planted around mid-September produced 25-30% greater dry matter yield compared to winter triticale planted in early October. This earlier planting date also resulted in an earlier harvest the following spring, with triticale planted in September being ready to harvest a week earlier than that planted in October.
Planting winter forages earlier also allows you to better capitalize on any remaining nitrogen left in the soil from the previous crop. When manure is applied to corn in the spring, it not only releases nitrate during the growing season but it will continue to release it after corn silage harvest. Earlier-planted winter forages are able to capture this nitrogen and use it to produce more tillers that will increase yield potential the following spring. Research out of Cornell showed that triticale nitrogen uptake averaged 62 pounds of nitrogen per acre for triticale planted before September 20th compared to 19 pounds of nitrogen per acre when planted after September 20th. For every ton of triticale dry matter biomass that was produced in the fall, approximately 70 pounds of nitrogen was taken up. In other words, more dry matter produced in the fall meant more nitrogen was stored and held over until the following spring. The bottom line is by planting on time, a considerable amount of nitrogen can be taken up and stored in the crop that would otherwise likely be lost or leached away.
Other added benefits stemming from additional fall biomass include greater protection of the crown from cold weather due to the additional top growth, as well as greater root growth which can reduce injury potential from winter heaving. And finally, early planting also results in a rapidly growing crop that can better outcompete weeds and will likely lessen the need for herbicides.
If early planting is not feasible due to the corn coming off later or for another reason, planting a winter forage at a later date can still provide economical yields of high quality forage and will still serve to protect the soil from erosion and improve soil health and structure by having living roots in the soil throughout the winter. That being said, if you are planting later, don’t try to make up for lost yield by putting down more seed. Research has shown that there is rarely an advantage to this, even with a later planting date. Triticale planted in New York the third week of October at seeding rates increasing from 100 to 200 pounds of seed per acre showed no significant yield differences the following spring. Instead of spending the money on extra seed, consider spending it on having a 3-way fungicide seed treatment applied to the seed. Field trials have shown a 15% increase in yield for treated seed compared to untreated seed when planted at an earlier or on-time planting date, and a 28% increase in yield for treated seed when planted at a later planting date.
Additionally, although seed planting depth is always a critical factor in forage plantings, as planting dates move later than optimum it becomes more critical that winter forage seeds be planted deep enough. Winter forages need to be planted a minimum of 1.25 inches deep. This deeper planting depth will allow the roots to establish firmly in the soil and resist early spring heaving.
For both early- and late-planted winter forages, a shot of nitrogen in the fall can help stimulate fall tillering without affecting winter hardiness. This can be applied in the form of manure or commercial fertilizer and can have a beneficial effect on yields the following spring. In New York trials, adding and immediately incorporating 4,000 gallons of manure per acre prior to planting increased yields for early-planted winter triticale by 14% and for later-planted winter triticale by 33%. However, manure application at this time can be harder to accomplish as harvest is ongoing and labor is often tied up in chopping and hauling. If a choice must be made, it is more important to get the winter forage in the ground early than it is to delay for the sake of adding manure. Getting the winter forage in the ground on time is more critical than applying manure because it maximizes both fall tillering and the absorption of leftover soil nitrogen. Most corn that has had manure applied will have some leftover nitrogen to support the fall tillering necessary for higher spring yields.
Last but not least, don’t forget to consider variety selection. New forage varieties continue to be developed and released because they offer improvements over existing varieties, and winter forages are no different. Choose a variety that has been tested and has shown superior performance in terms of forage yield and quality, and be sure to select and plant certified, weed-free seed in order to reach maximum potential.
CONTACT: Jason Schellhardt 410-841-5888 Megan Guilfoyle, 410-841-5889
ANNAPOLIS, MD (June 18, 2020) — The Maryland Department of Agriculture today announced that this year’s cover crop sign-up will be conducted entirely by mail from July 1 through July 17. The popular conservation program provides farmers with cost-share assistance to offset seed, labor, and equipment costs associated with planting cover crops on their fields in fall to build healthy soils and protect the Chesapeake Bay.
“To help ensure the health and safety of our farmers and local soil conservation district staff, we have switched to a mail-in registration process for this year’s cover crop sign-up,” said Secretary Joe Bartenfelder. “As we continue to safely reopen the state, it is important for Maryland farmers to know they can continue to count on the department for assistance in protecting valuable water and soil resources.”
Farmers who participated in last year’s cover crop program will receive registration packets in the mail later this month. The packet includes an application, program flyer, step-by-step instructions, and return envelope that has been pre-addressed to a local soil conservation district. Beginning July 1, applications will also be available on the program’s website. To be considered for cost-share, applications must be postmarked by July 17. Farmers who have questions or need assistance with their applications should contact their local soil conservation district.
Eligible farmers can receive up to $60/acre in cost-share grants to incorporate traditional cover crops into their fields this fall. The maximum payment for aerial seeding with incentives is $65/acre. Here are some additional highlights:
The base payment is $40/acre for incorporated seed and $45/acre for aerial seed or aerial ground seeding.
A $10/acre early planting incentive is offered for incorporated seed.
Farmers who aerial seed or aerial ground seed cover crops into standing corn on or before September 10 qualify for a $10/acre incentive payment.
Incentives to terminate cover crops after May 1, 2021 may be available.
Farmers may plant cover crops after corn, soybeans, sorghum, tobacco, vegetables, and — new this year — hemp and millet.
Cover crops are important to the health of the Chesapeake Bay and the productivity of Maryland’s farmland. In the fall, cold-hardy cereal grains are planted as cover crops in newly harvested fields. As they grow, cover crops provide a living, protective cover against erosion and nutrient runoff while building the soil’s organic matter for the next year’s crop.
To help create diversity, eligible cover crop species may be mixed with radishes and legumes, including clover, Austrian winter peas, and hairy vetch using a variety of two and three-species mixes.
Farmers are required to include a completed current Nutrient Management Plan Certification with their cover crop applications. This form may be downloaded from the website, and must be signed by both the farm operator and the person who prepared the farm’s Nutrient Management Plan.
Maryland’s Cover Crop Program is administered by the Maryland Department of Agriculture and the state’s 24 soil conservation districts through the Maryland Agricultural Water Quality Cost-Share (MACS) Program. Applicants must be in good standing with MACS and in compliance with Maryland’s nutrient management regulations. Other restrictions and conditions apply. Funding for the 2020-2021 Cover Crop program is provided by the Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fund and the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund.
1,2Cara Peterson, 2Steven Mirsky, 1Kate Tully, 1,2Victoria Ackroyd 1Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, University of Maryland 2United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville
The mid-Atlantic region has the highest percentage of arable acreage in cover crops in the United States, with some reports placing Maryland and Delaware as the two states with the highest percentage of total cropland planted with cover crops (Wade et al., 2015; Hamilton et al., 2017). However, the majority of producers in the region are only using grass cover crops, since legumes require earlier planting dates in order to over-winter (Mirsky et al., 2011; Clark, 2012). Farmers in this region have success with legume cover crops when planting them after wheat harvest or frost-seeding in the spring. However, most mid-Atlantic crop rotations include double-crop soybeans planted after wheat, which limits opportunities for establishing a legume cover crop. Low legume adoption is particularly problematic as farmers could use this cover crop before corn to maximize the opportunity for nitrogen fixation benefits.
Figure 1. (Top) A typical mid-Atlantic crop rotation, with double-crop soybeans in the field at the pivotal points for establishing a successful legume cover crop. (Bottom) Proposed crop rotation scheme for interseeding a cover crop between 30-inch soybeans. The cover crop over-winters and is terminated before corn planting in the spring.
Some farmers interseed cover crops into growing cash crops to overcome this timing challenge. Current options for planting cover crops into standing corn and soybean include both aerial broadcasting via airplane and adapted high-boy sprayers. However, these two techniques often result in poor establishment due to low seed-to-soil contact and seed predation by rodents and birds (Hively et al., 2001; Baker and Griffis, 2009; Wilson et al., 2013).
Figure 2. Interseeding cover crops with three planting units between 30-inch soybean rows.
To address the issue of planting cover crops into standing cash crops, our mid-Atlantic team ran numerous trials of an InterSeeder grain drill (InterSeeder Technologies, LLC; Fig. 2). Engineered by the Pennsylvania State University, this drill plants three rows of cover crops between 30-inch rows of standing cash crops. Field trials of this InterSeeder have been conducted in corn, as well as full-season soybeans, at various sites in the region with mixed results (Curran et al., 2018; Wallace et al. 2017). In Maryland, interseeding into full-season corn was moderately successful, whereas cover crops did not perform well in full season beans. However, exploratory research in Maryland identified wide-row double crop soybeans as a viable option for interseeding. The success of seeding grass-legume mixtures into 30-inch double-crop soybeans has led to an expanded on-station research program.
New Field Trials. Field trials with five different interseeded cover crop treatments were conducted to determine the optimal legume cover crop species to interseed in mixture with cereal rye and if interseeding a cover crop mixture affected wide-row double crop soybean yields. The five different cover crop treatments included: cereal rye alone, cereal rye independently mixed with four different legumes (hairy vetch, crimson clover, red clover, and winter pea), and a no cover crop control (Table 1).
Double-crop soybeans planted in June were then interseeded with the cover crop treatments in early September 2017 and late August 2018. The double-crop soybeans were harvested in November for 2017 and later in 2018 (December) due to wet field conditions. The interseeded cover crop treatments grew throughout the winter and were terminated with herbicides in April 2017 and 2018 before planting corn.
In an ideal interseeding scenario, the cover crop is planted as the double-crop soybeans are beginning to reach full canopy in early September. That way, the cover crops only have to survive a few weeks under the low light conditions of a soybean canopy until leaf drop. Once the soybean canopy is gone, the cover crops continue to grow but do not interfere with soybean harvest.
Insights from Interseeding Trials
Cereal rye + crimson clover produced the highest average cover crop biomass. The cereal rye + crimson clover fall 2017 seeding produced an average of 4,980 lbs per acre of biomass while the 2018 seeding produced 3,950 lbs per acre by the spring of 2019. Cereal rye + hairy vetch and cereal rye + winter pea reached similar levels of biomass in two out of the three field sites where the cover crops survived under the soybean canopy.
Interseeding did not decrease yield. There was no pattern of soybean yield differences between the 30-inch wide row double-crop soybeans that had or hadn’t been interseeded. Likewise, there were very minimal differences in soybean yields between the cover crop treatments.
Interseeding did not affect soybean grain quality. Green cover crop plant material was not found in any soybean grain subsampling. Moisture levels remained consistent, with very slight variance across the field as expected in a normal cropping system.
Row orientation matters. Out of the five trial sites, two of the cover crop plantings did not survive under the soybean canopy. Interestingly, the three field sites with strong cover crop survival rates had rows oriented in roughly the same direction: East-West or Southeast-Northwest. The two field sites where the cover crops sprouted but did not survive under the soybean canopy in the fall were on a perpendicular row orientation of Northeast-Southwest.
Row Spacing Considerations. The InterSeeder requires a 30-inch row spacing, while most double-crop soybean fields are planted in narrower rows of 15 inches or less. To account for the differing production practices, these field trials also included simple yield comparisons of 30- and 15-inch row double-crop soybeans. In the row spacing (15- vs 30-inches) trial, results were mixed. There was a yield penalty for wide row spacing in 2017, but not in 2018.
While the benefits of narrow row spacing have been well documented in full season beans, less is known about the potential advantages in double crop soybeans. We speculate that optimal production years enhance the effect of row spacing. For example, 2017 was a better soybean year compared to 2018 across the mid-Atlantic region. Higher levels of precipitation in 2018 than 2017 could have damaged yields. Previous research indicates that in lower yield years or for late-planted soybeans, the benefit of planting in 15 inch rows over 30 inch rows is lost (Alessi and Power, 1982; Hodges et al., 1983; Boquet, 1990; Weaver et al., 1990, Oplinger et al., 1992; Pederson and Lauer, 2003, Whaley et al., 2015).
Future Research. Nitrogen content analysis of the interseeded cover crop biomass is currently underway. Next, the research team will analyze how the following year’s corn crop responded to the interseeded cover crop mixtures.
References
Alessi, J., and J.F. Power. 1982. Effects of plant and row spacing on dryland soybean yield and water-use efficiency. Agronomy Journal 74:851–854. D.o.i.:10.2134/agronj1982.00021962007400050019x
Baker, J. M., and T. J. Griffis. 2009. Evaluating the potential use of winter cover crops in corn-soybean systems for sustainable co-production of food and fuel. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 149(12), 2120–2132. D.o.i.:10.1016 j.agrformet.2009.05.017
Boquet, D. J. 1990. Plant population density and row spacing effects on soybean at post-optimal planting dates. Agronomy. J.: 59–64. D.o.i:10.2134/agronj2009.0219.
Clark, A. (Ed.). 2012. Managing cover crops profitably (Third ed.). College Park, MD: Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education.
Curran, W.S., R.J. Hoover, S.B. Mirsky, G.W. Roth, M.R. Ryan, V.J. Ackroyd, J.M. Wallace, M.A. Dempsey and C.J. Pelzer. 2018. Evaluation of cover crops drill interseeded into corn across the mid-Atlantic region. Agronomy Journal 110, 435–443. D.o.i.:10.2134/agronj2017.07.0395
Fisher, K. A., B. Momen,, and R.J. Kratochvil. 2011. Is broadcasting seed an effective winter cover crop planting method? Agronomy Journal, 103(2), 472–478. D.o.i.:10.2134/agronj2010.0318
Hively, W.D. and W.J. Cox. 2001. Interseeding cover crops into soybean and subsequent corn yields. Agronomy. J. 93:308-313. D.o.i.:10.2134/agronj2001.932308x
Hodges, H.F., F.D. Whisler, N.W. Buehrig, R.E. Coast, J. Mcmillian, N.C. Edwards, and C. Hovermale. 1984. The Effect of Planting Date Row Spacing and Variety on Soybean Yield in Mississippi (Bulletin 912). Report prepared for the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station.
Hamilton, A. V., D.A. Mortensen and M.K. Allen. 2017. The state of the cover crop nation and how to set realistic future goals for the popular conservation practice. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation. 72(5), 111-115A. DOI: 10.2489/jswc.72.5.111A
Mirsky, S.B., W.S. Curran, D.A. Mortensen, D.L. Shumway, and M.R. Ryan. 2011. Timing of cover crop management effects on weed suppression in no-till planted soybean using a roller-crimper. Weed Science 59:380–389
Oplinger, E.S. and B.D. Philbrook. 1992. Soybean planting date, row width, and seeding rate response in three tillage systems. Journal of Production Agriculture. 5: 94-99. DOI:10.2134/jpa1992.0094
Pedersen, P. and J.G. Lauer. 2004. Soybean growth and development response to rotation sequence and tillage system. Agronomy Journal 96(4), 1005–1012. D.o.i.:10.2134/agronj2004.1005
Wade, T., R. Claassen and S. Wallander. 2015. Conservation-Practice Adoption Rates Vary Widely by Crop and Region, EIB-147, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. Available at https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/44027/56332_eib147.pdf?v=42403
Wallace, J.M., W. S. Curran, S. B. Mirsky, M.R. Ryan. 2017. Tolerance of interseeded annual ryegrass and red clover cover crops to residual herbicides in mid-Atlantic corn cropping systems,” Weed Technology, 31(5), 641-650.
Weaver, D.B., R.L. Akridge, and C.A. Thomas, C.A. 1991. Growth habit, planting date, and row-spacing effects on late-planted soybean. Crop Science (31) 805-810
Whaley, C., J. Adkins and P. Sylvester. 2015. Final report to Delaware soybean board: Evaluating the response of full season and double-cropped soybeans in narrow and wide rows to various soil moisture levels.
Wilson, M. L., J.M. Baker, and D.L. Allan. 2013. Factors affecting successful establishment of aerially seeded winter rye. Agronomy Journal, 105(6), 1868–1877.
Alan Leslie*, Armando Rosario-Lebron, Veronica L. Yurchak, Guihua Chen & Cerruti Hooks University of Maryland, Department of Entomology *University of Maryland Extension, Charles County
Farmers’ decisions about when and how to terminate their cover crops can enhance, decrease, or have no effect on weed establishment in the following crop. Winter cover crops are typically terminated with a burn-down herbicide during early to late spring, which also kills any germinated weeds before planting the cash crop. A residual herbicide is often included as a tank-mix to provide some protection from future weed germination. This practice provides weed suppression through cover cropping and herbicide usage. However, timing of cover crop termination can affect weed populations by influencing cover crop biomass and the amount of residue that remains on the soil surface.
Delaying cover crop termination has the potential to improve weed suppression through greater cover crop biomass accumulation. However, this delay can negatively affect the subsequent cash crop if the growing cover crops deplete soil moisture with increased evapotranspiration. As such, effects of cover crop termination date on weed management must take into account its impact on soil water availability. The Maryland Department of Agriculture’s cover crop program includes a new incentive for the 2019/2020 cover crop season called the Extended Season option. This new incentive encourages late termination by paying farmers an additional $15 per acre when they agree to terminate their cover crops after May 1. However, concerns about soil moisture and yield of the following soybean crop may keep some farmers from participating in this program.
Field experiments were conducted at two sites in Maryland in 2013 and 2014 to examine how varying the termination date and method of barley cover crop affects the weed community, soil moisture and yield in the following no-till soybean crop. This experiment compared four treatments: (1) early-kill with burn-down and residual herbicides (EK), (2) late- kill with burn-down and residual herbicides (LK), (3) late-kill with a flail mower and residual herbicides (FM), (4) and a fallow/bare-ground check with burn-down and residual herbicides (BG). Terminating the barley late or just prior to soybean planting resulted in significantly greater barley biomass accumulation in LK and FM than EK (Table 1).
Table 1. Mean cover crop or winter weed biomass at time of herbicide burn-down or flail mowing.
1EK = early kill, LK = late kill, FM = flail mow, BG = bare-ground. 2Different letters indicate statistically significant difference (P < 0.05).
Weed density, soil coverage and species diversity were measured to determine effects of cover crop management tactics on weed suppression. Weed growth measurements were conducted after soybeans reached the early vegetative growth stage and continued until soybean canopy closure. Soil moisture was measured throughout the season at Beltsville using electrical resistance sensors to determine the effect of cover crop management on soil moisture dynamics. Soybeans were harvested using small plot combines. Weed composition, in terms of species and their relative abundances, was similar between study sites. There were 16 weed species identified at each site; the most abundant grass weeds at both sites were large crabgrass (Digitariasanguinalis) and goosegrass (Eleusine indica). The most abundant broadleaf weed at Beltsville was white clover (Trifolium repens), while white clover was second in abundance to carpetweed (Mollugo verticillata) in Upper Marlboro. The EK treatment had the greatest weed coverage (Fig. 1). In Upper Marlboro, total weed coverage was greater in EK than FM or LK treatments and more grass weeds were found in EK than LK plots (Fig. 2a). In Beltsville, BG had significantly more annual broadleaf weeds than FM or LK treatments (Fig. 2b). However, the number of perennial weeds was similar among treatments (Fig. 2c).
Figure 1. Mean percent weed coverage at Beltsville during 2013 and 2014. Different letters indicate significant differences between treatments.
Soil moisture levels fluctuated with rainfall events throughout the growing season, and appeared to show a response to increased water demand of soybean plants following canopy closure both years. There was no significant effect of treatment either before or after canopy closure on soil moisture either year. Similarly, soybean yields were similar among all treatments.
Figure 2. Mean weed counts from quadrat samples. Values are pooled across both years. Different letters indicate significant differences (P < 0.05) between treatments (A) or between treatment/site combinations (B).
In summary, the EK treatment had the lowest cover crop biomass and the highest weed pressure among treatments. However, increased biomass in LK and FM did not result in better weed suppression than the BG treatment, and there were no differences in weed pressure between LK and FM. Method and timing of termination had no significant effect on soil moisture or yield. Results from this experiment suggest that mechanically terminating a cover crop can be as effective as using a burn-down herbicide for managing weeds in a subsequent soybean crop if a residual herbicide is used, and that delaying cover crop termination or herbicide application until just prior to soybean planting can result in reduced weed pressure during the season.
Soybean farmers in Maryland generally kill their cover crop early partially out of concern that cover crops will dry out soils ahead of planting the next crop. During this experiment, there was no evidence of lower soil moisture or suppressive effects on soybean emergence, growth, or yield in cover crop treatments terminated late. From the perspective of weed management, these results encourage cover crop management strategies that delay termination until just prior to planting the soybean crop. As such, results from this study show that timing of cover crop termination is important for managing weeds and that in some instances mechanical termination of cover crops may substitute chemical termination without a loss in weed suppression benefits. Although this may not be true under all growing conditions, the best practice for weed management among methods tested during this study is using a combination of narrow row spacing and terminating the cover crop as late as possible, as this provides the best opportunity for preventing the need for further herbicide applications later in the season. Results of this study show that farmers can opt-in to the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s new Extended Season incentive without expecting negative impacts on soybean growth or yield.
We thank crews at the Upper Marlboro and Beltsville Research and Education Centers for logistics in establishing field trials. This work was supported by Hatch Project No. MD-ENTO-9107/project accession no. 227029 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Maryland Soybean Board and USDA NIFA EIPM number 2017-70006-27171.
The annual sign-up period for the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s cover crop program will take place June 21 – July 17 at soil conservation district offices statewide. This popular grant program provides farmers with cost-share assistance to offset seed, labor, and equipment costs associated with planting fall cover crops.
This year’s program includes two new incentives for farmers. The first is the Extended Season option which pays $15/acre to farmers who agree to terminate their cover crops after May 1. There is also a $10/acre incentive for farmers who hire an airplane or helicopter to aerial seed cover crops into standing corn by September 1.
“Planting cover crops is an effective way to control nutrient runoff, reduce erosion, build healthy soils, and protect water quality,” said Secretary Joe Bartenfelder. “This has been a successful program for our department, and I encourage all farmers to visit their local soil conservation district and learn more about the program’s new incentives and application process.”
Cover crops are important to the health of the Chesapeake Bay and the vitality of Maryland’s valuable soil resources. As they grow, cover crops recycle unused plant nutrients remaining in the soil from the preceding summer crop. Once established, they work all winter to protect fields against erosion spurred by wind, rain, snow, and ice. In addition to their water quality benefits, cover crops increase organic matter in the soil, reduce weeds and pests, provide habitat for beneficial insects and help protect fields from too much or too little rain.
The department’s program provides grants to farmers who plant a variety of small grains, brassicas, and forage radish on their fields following the fall harvest. To help create diversity, eligible cover crop species may be mixed with radish and legumes including clover, Austrian winter peas and hairy vetch using a variety of two and three-species mixes.
Eligible farmers can receive up to $90/acre in cost-share grants to plant traditional cover crops in their fields this fall. This includes a $45/acre base rate and up to an additional $45/acre in incentives. A field inspection is required to qualify for the Extended Season incentive. Maximum payment for aerial seeding with incentives is $85/acre.
Applicants are required to include a completed Current Nutrient Management Plan Certification when applying for cover crop grants. This form must be signed by both the farm operator and the person who prepared the farm’s nutrient management plan. Applicants can download the form from the department’s website.
Maryland’s Cover Crop Program is administered by the Maryland Department of Agriculture and the state’s 24 soil conservation districts through the Maryland Agricultural Water Quality Cost-Share (MACS) Program. Applicants must be in good standing with MACS and in compliance with Maryland’s nutrient management regulations. Other restrictions and conditions apply. Funding for the 2019-2020 Cover Crop program is provided by the Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fund and the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund.
The annual sign-up period for the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s cover crop program will take place June 21 – July 17 at soil conservation district offices statewide. This popular grant program provides farmers with cost-share assistance to offset seed, labor, and equipment costs associated with planting fall cover crops.