Updated Cover Crop Seeding Rate Recommendations Could Save Farmers Money

GABRIELLE BELLELO

 ST. JOSEPH, LOUISIANA

Gloomy weather forced the LSU AgCenter Northeast Research Station to move its July 23 cotton and grain field day indoors ­­– but there were few complaints from station staff and farmers who attended the event. Their fields received a much-needed rain amid a dry spell in the area.

As the rain fell outside, AgCenter personnel told attendees about several of their projects at the station. Many of these efforts center on best management practices and are funded by a grant from the Patrick F. Taylor Foundation. 

Dennis Burns, an AgCenter agent and research coordinator at the station, said soil health – a key component of the Taylor grant work – is crucial.

“Everything we do here depends on the soil,” Burns said.

James Hendrix, an AgCenter agent involved in the grant project, emphasized the importance of the research being done at the station.

“We are testing best management practices for specific site areas because what works in one location may not necessarily be effective for another,” Hendrix said.

One focus of the grant is cover crops, which are typically grown in the off season. They can add nutrients to the soil, prevent erosion and provide other benefits for soil health. 

At the station, Hendrix and his colleagues are testing various cover crops in different soil types.

Hendrix also talked about the current seeding rates recommended by the Natural Resources Conservation Service for crops that are commonly used to cover the soil, such as cereal rye, clover and vetch. These recommendations are based on those crops being used as cattle forages, which require higher seeding rates, rather than covers.

“We have been doing research at three locations for the past three years to come up with LSU AgCenter recommendations for seeding rates for cover crops,” Hendrix said. 

The updated, lower rates have the potential to save growers money while still generating an ideal amount of biomass, he said. The new recommendations are set to be released to the public soon.

“It is going to save farmers a lot of money, and it is going to help the NRCS get more people involved in conservation programs,” Hendrix said.

Field day attendees also heard from two visiting scholars from Brazil: Maria Salvador Santos and Leonardo Rezende, who arrived at the station in May. They will stay for a year to contribute to various research trials for the Taylor grant. 

They gave a presentation on the tools they have been using to assess how cover crops as well as conventional tillage and no tillage systems affect the stability of soil and water infiltration rates.

“It is important to have nutrients cycling back to the plant and to improve soil structure by keeping the soil with organic matter. This helps with plant growth and production,” Santos said about soil aggregate stability.

During their time in Louisiana, Santos and Rezende will gain hands-on experience operating research equipment, setting up plots and planning research trials. They will also assist in planting and harvesting activities.

Other items on the field day program included a presentation on row rice from Burns as well as updates on weed science, entomology and various crops. 

For more information about Taylor grant projects, visit www.LSUAgCenter.com/taylorgrant.    ∆

GABRIELLE BELLELO: LSU AgCenter