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Ohio State University Extension

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Cover Crops for Prevented Acres

Submitted by Allan Sundermeier.


Excessive rainfall and prolonged ponding conditions this spring have resulted in many fields remaining unplanted to corn or soybeans this season. These “prevented planting” acres, while unfortunate for this year’s production, should be managed in ways to prevent further soil degradation and to increase soil productivity for next year. Cover crops are an excellent option for producers to consider for protecting their soil and increasing productive capacity for succeeding years. This article from Purdue University briefly describes the benefits of growing cover crops compared to leaving the soil bare and fallow, and then it provides guidance on selecting and seeding cover crops for prevented planting acres: https://ag.purdue.edu/agry/extension/Documents/PreventedPlantingCovers2015.pdf



Choose your cover crops, seeding dates and rates, with the following tools:

 
Midwest Cover Crops Council Decision Tool,http://www.mccc.msu.edu/selectorINTRO.html  (Choose cover crops for your particular goals, planting dates for your county)

Indiana NRCS Cover Crops Seeding Calculator, calculate seeding rates for each species in a mix:           
 http://efotg.sc.egov.usda.gov/references/public/IN/IN_NRCS_Cover_Crops_Seeding_Calculator.xlsm
 
Additional Resources
• Midwest Cover Crops Council:  http://www.mccc.msu.edu
 •Midwest Cover Crops Field Guide, 2nd ed. Available from Education Store, Purdue Extension.
• Herbicide carryover:   A good Extension publication from Penn State that fits Indiana is:  http://extension.psu.edu/plants/crops/soil-management/cover-crops/herbicide-persistence/herbicide-carryover-table
© 2015, Purdue University

Crop Observation and Recommendation Network

C.O.R.N. Newsletter is a summary of crop observations, related information, and appropriate recommendations for Ohio crop producers and industry. C.O.R.N. Newsletter is produced by the Ohio State University Extension Agronomy Team, state specialists at The Ohio State University and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC). C.O.R.N. Newsletter questions are directed to Extension and OARDC state specialists and associates at Ohio State.

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