The drought monitor report as of Tuesday, August 18th is continuing a backwards slide into worse conditions. Almost all of Barton County and much of the surrounding are now in moderate drought with the southeast part and most of Stafford and Rice Counties in severe drought. The northeaster third of the state is in good shape as is a small area of the northwest. The six to ten-day forecast (August 25 to 29) indicates a 60 to 80% chance of likely above normal for temperatures and near normal for precipitation. The eight to fourteen-day forecast indicates (August 27 to September 2) indicates a continued 60 to 80% chance of likely above normal for temperatures and near normal for precipitation. Definitely not good for sorghum and really bad for soybeans.
If you are a crop producer, you have been exposed to cover crops. First, for those who aren’t familiar with the concept, a brief explanation. A cover crop is a “crop” planted between crops a producer intends to harvest (corn, soybeans, wheat, etc.). You aren’t going to harvest it but allow it to grow and either till it into the soil before the next harvestable crop or kill it and leave it in place. Now, extension and others are also including using it as a forage in the definition. What are the possible benefits of cover, especially in drier regions or during drought conditions, for the producer?
· Having living plant material on the soil protects the soil from wind and water erosion. A good cover crop also helps suppress weeds and minimizes the need for tillage and/or herbicides for weed control.
· Good cover crop management, even under drier conditions, helps accumulate organic matter in the topsoil and this helps with soil structure along with water and nutrient holding capacity. When incorporating legumes, plants that can fix atmospheric nitrogen, a cover crop can also add nitrogen to succeeding crops. Cover crops can also take up leachable nutrients such as sulfate which can become available as microbes break down the plant material. They also improve the microbiology of the soil which promotes a better root environment for crops.
· Certain cover crop species, such as tillage radishes, can assist in breaking up dense/compacted soils and increase soil infiltration rates. And for those with cattle, a good cover crop stand can provide good pasture
· Even in drier climates, cover crops have typically been shown to provide better crop yields than leaving ground fallow.
Now the challenges, they can deplete soil water for your harvestable crop. A diverse cover crop can be very, very expensive, especially when incorporating certain legumes. There is the expense of terminating the crop.
However, a cover crop can be inexpensive and relatively easy to control. An example is planting several bushels per acre of spring oats in the fall. The seed is inexpensive and with decent moisture and growing conditions provide good cover and in most years will die over winter. The hardest part is determining what crop(s) to use, how much to spend, when to terminate, and is there adequate moisture for the cover and succeeding crops.