News

Fall cover crop challenges

An agronomist says farmers are seeing challenges establishing cover crops this fall.

John Pike, who’s based in southern Illinois, says herbicide carryover after late-planted soybeans is a concern.

“There were a lot of acres that received a later than usual post herbicide application with a residual product in there.”  He says, “Those residuals can have some impact on our cover crop.”

He tells Brownfield the dry September has led to many producers delaying cover crop seeding.

“Because the worst thing that we can do is get a lot of acres of cover crop broadcast and then not get an inch or two of good rain to get them established,” he says.

Pike says he doesn’t expect either situation to impact southern Illinois wheat planting.

“There’s enough spread in the crop that the wheat acres are going to get planted, especially knowing that our wheat yields have really been very respectable over the last few years.”  He says, “And the wheat double crop rotation has proved to be one of the best, most profitable management strategies that we have from a rotational aspect.”

Pike says the farmers he works with have found the added fall challenges of cover crop systems worth the benefits they bring to a farm, such as better soil health, weed suppression, and erosion control.  

AUDIO: John Pike – Pike Ag, LLC