Estimated Costs for a Winter Cover Crop in an Annual Crop Rotation

Authors: Sarah Light – UC Cooperative Extension Agronomy Advisor, Sutter, Yuba, Colusa Counties; Margaret Lloyd – UC Cooperative Extension Small Farms Advisor, Yolo, Solano, Sacramento Counties; Helaine Berris – Graduate Student, UC Davis, Department of Land, Air, and Water Resources; Donald Stewart – Staff Research Associate, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, UC Davis; Brittney Goodrich – UC Cooperative Extension Specialist, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, UC Davis

View the full publication here: https://coststudyfiles.ucdavis.edu/uploads/pub/2022/09/28/2022covercropsbenefits.pdf

This cost study models the planting and management of a winter cover crop in a summer crop rotation planted in the lower Sacramento Valley of … Read the rest

SIFT 2021: A Small-Scale Urban Intensive Farm Contributes to a Resilient Food System

Authors: John Wallace and Andrew Coggins, NCAT Agriculture Specialists

Read the full publication here: https://attra.ncat.org/publication/sift-2021/

NCAT’s Small-Scale Intensive Farm Training program (SIFT) operates a high-altitude urban demonstration farm in Butte, Montana, that is focused on production of food for the good of the community. This publication provides details on the role that the farm plays in educating and producing food for the community. It highlights ongoing cover crop experiments, fruit tree propagation, and water-conservation strategies at the farm, as well as construction of a new high tunnel.… Read the rest

USDA NRCS Evaluation of Spring Seeded Cover Crops in Colorado, Montana and North Dakota

Read the report here.

Link: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_PLANTMATERIALS/publications/natpmtn13647.pdf

Plant Materials Centers in Bridger, MT, Bismarck, ND and the Upper Colorado Environmental Plant Center, Meeker, CO conducted a 2-year evaluation of over 50 commercially available varieties of black oats, black seeded oats, cereal rye, crimson clover, daikon radish, hairy vetch, red clover, and winter/field pea to assess their adaptation and performance as spring seeded cover crops. Information from the study will assist conservation planners and farmers in selecting varieties to meet the cover crop objectives of their production systems.… Read the rest

USDA NRCS Evaluation of Cool Season Cover Crops in the Southwest Region

Read the report here.

Link: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_PLANTMATERIALS/publications/natpmtn13595.pdf

Plant Materials Centers (PMCs) in Tucson, AZ, Lockeford, CA, Meeker CO, Los Lunas, NM and Fallon, NV conducted a 2-year evaluation of 56 commercially available varieties of black oats, black seeded oats, cereal rye, crimson clover, daikon radish, hairy vetch, red clover, and winter/field pea to assess their adaptation and performance as cover crops in the Southwest PMC region. Information from the study will assist conservation planners and farmers in selecting varieties to meet the cover crop objectives of their production systems.… Read the rest

USDA NRCS Evaluation of Cool Season Cover Crops in the Northwest

Read the report here.

Link: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_PLANTMATERIALS/publications/natpmtn13594.pdf

Plant Materials Centers (PMCs) in Aberdeen, ID, Corvallis, OR, and Pullman, WA conducted a 2-year evaluation of 56 commercially available varieties of cereal rye, hairy vetch, crimson clover, red clover, winter/field pea, black oats, black seeded oats, and daikon radish to assess their adaptation and performance as cover crops in the North Central PMC region. Information from the study will assist conservation planners and farmers in selecting varieties to meet the cover crop objectives of their production systems.… Read the rest

Adaptive Management for Conservation Practices, Agronomy Technical Note No. 10 

This technical note offers an adaptive management approach that will enable growers to use a datadriven process to refine the application of conservation practices to better adapt to conditions encountered on their farms.… Read the rest