farm406
50
"is helps reduce the risk of soil acidification caused by ammonia-
based fertilizer, an increasing issue in our region," said Jones, adding
that it also helps the farmer's boom line.
"Cover Crops: Soil Health" presents the impact of cover crops on
soil microbial activity, nutrient cycling, soil aggregation, and soil
surface temperature.
"In our dryland systems, mixed species covers may not be beer for
soil health than a diversity of cash crops planted in continuous rotation,
without summer fallow," Jones said.
For covers to be successful, Jones added, producers need to be clear
on the intended goal of planting a cover, select species suitable for their
environment and equipment, ensure covers have sufficient nutrients,
start small and manageable, and use information from regional research
and neighbors who are successful.
If covers are used as forage, the goal, management, and economics
change from that of covers that are not grazed or hayed.
"Although we did not include information on covers used as forage in
these bulletins, many principles apply to systems that include livestock
grazing or haying of covers," Jones said.
All three bulletins and the summary MontGuide were produced
through collaboration with additional co-authors Cathy Zabinski,
ecology professor, and Kathrin Olson-Rutz, research associate, both in
the Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences; and
Susan Tallman, state agronomist with the USDA Natural Resources
Conservation Service.
e publications are available online and as printed copies om MSU Extension
Publications at store.msuextension.org or by calling 406-994-3273.
Contact: Clain Jones, 406-994-6076 or clainj@montana.edu
PREMIUM
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