Learning about the benefits of cover crops in the farming system, including utilization of cover crops as forage, will be the focus of a North Dakota State University Extension field day on Aug. 28.

The full day of educational sessions and tours will be near Rutland at the Coteau des Prairies Lodge, 9953 141st Ave. S.E., Havana, N.D., beginning at 9 a.m. and ending at 3 p.m.

Participants will visit the field research and demonstration plots on the nearby farm. The plots will showcase nutrient release from previous cover crops in this year’s corn, selecting cover crops on land with residual herbicide and weed control options, bio strip-till with radish following wheat harvest and practices to manage soil moisture effectively.

“The use of cover crops is becoming common in the Dakotas, but incorporating cover crops like winter camelina and rye in corn and soybean in North Dakota is a newer concept and is being researched, as well as other cover crops with potential in the farming systems,” says Marisol Berti, the study’s director and a professor in NDSU’s Plant Sciences Department.

Berti will be one of the day’s featured speakers. Other NDSU researchers and Extension specialists also will speak.

Hans Kandel, NDSU Extension agronomist, adds, “Participating in this educational event will provide growers a “see it for yourself” opportunity to learn about our research and to see how the cover crops have a place on a working farm at large-field scale. Interacting with other participants is also a great way to gain insights in the utilization of cover crops and building the soil.”

Topics for the afternoon educational sessions will include alternative uses for cover crops, including forage opportunities and fine-tuning cover crop management in soybean, and corn. Lunch is provided. Registration is encouraged on the NDSU Soil Health webpage, https://www.ndsu.edu/soilhealth/, under the events tab.

This field day is part of the outreach effort associated with a grant the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded to North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station scientists. The grant is being used to study how cover crops can increase the resilience and productivity of crops such as corn and soybeans, and improve soil health and land use efficiency.

The grant is a collaborative effort of researchers from NDSU, the University of Minnesota, Iowa State University and the USDA’s Agriculture Research Service. More information about the research and preliminary results can be accessed on the project’s website at https://www.cropsyscap.org/.

NDSU Agriculture Communication – Aug. 15, 2018