The Current
Manitowoc Co. Soil & Water Conservation Summer 2019
Welcome to the Current, a quarterly newsletter from the Manitowoc County Soil & Water Conservation Department!
Cover Crops & No-Till Help During Cold, Wet Spring
Mother Nature didn't cooperate for farmers this spring. Across the upper mid-west, including Manitowoc County, record-breaking precipitation slowed planting to a soggy stand-still. The tough spring weather created problems for everyone, but local cover crop and no-till farmers were able to plant in better conditions, compared to conventionally-managed fields. Cover crops are close growing grasses, legumes, or small grains grown to control erosion, add organic matter to the soil, and improve soil infiltration and aeration. No-till is the practice of growing crops without disturbing the soil by plowing or disking. The practice increases water infiltration, organic matter retention, and nutrient cycling in the soil.
"Early planting was difficult in general for our farm and for everyone this year; but fields with cover crops were much drier," stated Dan Meyer, a cover crop/no-till farmer near Kiel, WI, who plants in both no-till/cover crop and conventionally-managed fields. "I saw a lot of 400 Horsepower tractors compacting soil while tilling fields this year. - I can't say I planted in perfect conditions, but I know I didn't create the compaction problems conventional fields had." Greg Gries, another cover crop and no-till farmer near Valders, WI, commented, " "I definitely saw the benefits of no-till this year. Those fields drained much faster; and the fields with cover crops -I saw less soil erosion."
Meyer planted a variety of cover crops including: Rye, Triticale, Wheat, Turnips, Forage Rape, Sunflowers, Oats, and Peas last fall, which helped during this cold, wet planting season. Gries planted a mixture of Barley, Berseem Clover, and Crimson Clover after harvesting wheat last August.
Manitowoc County Soil & Water Conservation has technical assistance and may have cost-share dollars available for those interested in planting cover crops this fall, or wish to move to reduced- tillage practices. Contact the office at 920-683-4183 to speak with a Resource Conservationist.