Cover crop research at Ohio State University had varying results last year which researchers say highlight the need for perseverance.
Rachel Cochran is a Water Quality Extension Associate in northwest Ohio.
“We’re seeing a lot of impact from the soil health perspective, from the nutrient perspective on farms that have been using cover crops for multiple years,” she says. “If a farmer gives up easily on the cover crops, then generally they won’t see that benefit.”
Last season, Cochran worked with a longtime no-till and cover crop farmer incorporating an extensive cover crop mix to evaluate how nitrogen rates could be reduced in corn. Unfortunately, she says the crops did not respond as expected.
