Opportunities to incorporate winter cover crops, forages and perennials into various cropping systems will be the focus of a North Dakota State University field day on Sept. 16, led by Marisol Berti, NDSU Department of Plant Sciences professor of forage, cover crops and biomass production and Clair Keene, NDSU Extension small grains agronomist.

Presenters will demonstrate and discuss the benefits of cover crops and perennials, and how to establish alfalfa in an annual cash crop like sorghum.

The field day will start with registration at 8:30 a.m. at the research plots just west of the intersection of 15th Avenue North and 18th Street North on the NDSU main campus. The afternoon program will include a tour around the campus research plots and will conclude at 2:45 p.m.

Morning field tour topics are:

• Forage sorghum, sainfoin and alfalfa intercropping
• Pollinator strips establishment and biodiversity
• Perennial wheat and Kernza™ research in North Dakota
• Cover crops and soil health research in North Dakota
• Alfalfa winter hardiness, root morphology and plant growth enhancers research
• Alfalfa Rhizobium research

Afternoon field tour topics are:

• Winter camelina research and crop contracts
• Perennial wheat and Kernza™ research in North Dakota
• Pollinator plants and perennial sunflower biodiversity

“I have researched various cover crops within many North Dakota cropping systems,” shares Berti. “Establishing alfalfa by intercropping with cash crops has great potential to increase the profitability of forages.”

Field day participants will have the opportunity to learn about cover crops and new perennial grain crops such as Kernza^TM. Attendees will be able to connect with other participants who have experience in incorporating cover crops and forages into their farming systems.

A free lunch will be provided to all who register. Registration and more event information is available at ndsu.ag/covercropsday25.

This field day is part of the outreach efforts associated with several National Institute of Food and Agriculture grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture awarded to North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station scientists and USDA-ARS researchers. If you have any questions about this event, please contact the NDSU Department of Plant Sciences at 701-231-7971.

NDSU Agriculture Communication – Aug. 13, 2025

Source: Marisol Berti, 701-730-4770, marisol.berti@ndsu.edu

Source: Clair Keene, 701-231-7405, clair.keene@ndsu.edu

Editor: Kelli Anderson, 701-231-6136, kelli.c.anderson@ndsu.edu