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Fitting cover crops into your rotation
Step 1: identify the issue
• Weed management
• Nitrogen fixation
• Organic matter building
• Nutrient “scavenging”
• Erosion prevention
Step 2: identify limitations
• Climate
• Soil drainage
• Equipment
• Rotation crops
Step 3: available options
Step 4: Plan and implement
• Have seed (and inoculant) ready
• Prepare a good seedbed
• Make a termination plan
• Stay flexible, respond to conditions
Step 5: Assess the results
• What worked, what didn’t?
• Did yield/quality of cash crop improve?
• How could the process be improved next time?
Choosing the right cover crop
The Cover Crop Selector Tool
• Case study #1: erosion control– Grow a cover crop in fall after harvest to
prevent spring soil erosion
The Cover Crop Selector Tool
• Case study #2: nitrogen fixation– Grow a legume in
rotation to fix some nitrogen for the subsequent crop
The Cover Crop Selector Tool
• Case study #3: combination of factors– Unable to plant cash crop– Want to cover soil during season– Want something that will suppress weeds,
build soil and scavenge nutrients
Project funded by Agriculture Canada
Summary
1.Know your conditions
2.Make a plan
3.Stay flexible, adapt to changing conditions
4.Use decision-making tools
5.Assess the results, modify techniques as necessary