We are starting to see some interest in the idea of cover crops. The concept has been refined over the years in the US as a way to improve the organic matter, and water holding capacity in the soil.
The Southwest Forage Association held its AGM on Friday, and the group's keynote speaker was Kevin Elmy of Friendly Acres Seed Farm at Saltcoats, who spoke on the benefits of using cover crops to improve the soil profile.
"We've been researching it for about four years now in our area," Elmy said. "We've used cover crops to seed winter triticale for the last two years, and this past year, where we used the cover crop, it was about a 10-bushel yield advantage without the inputs, so we're dollars ahead using them."
Farmers create crop diversity by throwing together a variety of six or twelve crops, and each crop brings improvements such as a longer tap root for improved soil moisture or the nitrogen benefits of a pulse crop that remain in the soil.
The Forage association has received funding for research into the benefits of cover crops in drier areas such as the southwest.
Thu, Apr 25, 6:00 AM
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