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Cover Crops and Reduced Tillage

Integrating cover crops into field crop production has gained interest in recent years as we discover the multitude of benefits that cover crops can provide, such as reducing nutrient and soil loss, increasing soil organic matter, suppressing weeds, serving as extra sources of livestock forage, and even as habitat for pollinators and other beneficial insects. Our NWCS team has been working with farmers and other partners to conduct research and outreach on cover crops suited to our northern climates, primarily in silage corn acreage but also in other crops like cereal grains, hops, and vegetables.

Dig Into Your Day With Cover Crops & Conservation

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- ¶¶Òõ̽̽ Extension offered a free Webinar Series. This webinar series discussed current research on cover crops and conservation in various cropping systems, interesting findings, and common obstacles to implementing a successful cover crop and no-till program. 

Dates & Topics

  • Monday, 3/23/20 9am to 9:45am - (YouTube video available) with Steve Mirsky, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service
  • Thursday, 3/26/20 9am to 9:45am - (YouTube video available) with Peter Tomlinson, Kansas State University, Department of Agronomy
  • Monday, 3/30/20 9am to 9:45am - (YouTube video available), University of Missouri Extension, Agricultural Engineering
  • Thursday, 4/2/20 9am to 9:45am - (YouTube video available) with Joel Gruver, Western Illinois University, School of Agriculture
  • Monday, 4/6/20 9am to 9:45am - (YouTube video available) with Natalie Lounsbury, University of New Hampshire, Earth and Environmental Sciences
  • Thursday, 4/9/20 9am to 9:45am - (YouTube video available), Young Family Farm, Innovative No-Till Farmer from Herndon, Kentucky
  • Monday, 4/13/20 9am to 9:45am - (YouTube video available) with Heather Darby, University of Vermont Extension, Northwest Crops and Soils Program
  • Thursday, 4/16/20 9am to 9:45am - (YouTube video available) with Cara Peterson, University of Maryland, Sustainable Agricultural Systems Lab

Tile Drainage

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Tile Drainage in Vermont Factsheets

Factsheets, Bulletins, and Guides
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Cover Crops

Reduced Tillage

Tile Drainage Webinar Series - Drainage and Doughnuts
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Tile Drainage Webinar Series - Drainage and Doughnuts

View our . What you will learn -

  • Best management practices to use on tile acreages
  • Increase knowledge on how farmland with subsurface tile drainage may affect water quality
  • Increase knowledge about how Required Agricultural Practices (RAPs) affect the use of subsurface tile drainage
  • Learn about end-of-tile treatments

Videos

  • 10/24/18, , Joshua Faulkner, ¶¶Òõ̽̽
  • 10/26/18, , Matt Ruark, University of Wisconsin - Madision
  • 10/31/18, , Eric Young, USDA ARS - Marshfield, WI
  • 11/2/18, , Lindsay Pease, University of Minnesota - St.Paul
  • 11/8/18, , Heather Darby, ¶¶Òõ̽̽, and Update on RAPs and tile drain rule amendment, Ryan Patch, VAAFM
Videos and Webinar Recordings
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  • (YouTube, Mar. 10, 2019).
  • (YouTube, Dec. 1, 2017).
  • (YouTube, Oct. 7, 2016).
  • (YouTube, Nov. 5, 2015).
  • (Webinar recording with Sandra Primard, USDA NRCS. May 25, 2016).
  • (Webinar recording with Jeff Sanders. May 18, 2016).
  • (Webinar recording with Kirsten Workman. May 11, 2016).
  • (Webinar recording with Heather Darby. May 4, 2016.)
  • (Webinar recording with Bill Curran, Penn State University. April 27, 2016.)
  • (YouTube video with Heather Darby)
  • (Across the Fence program with Jeff Sanders and Kirsten Workman. March 13, 2015.)
  • (Across the Fence program featuring a field day at Pouliot Dairy Farm, Westford, VT. October 31, 2014.)
Additional Resources
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Research Results

Visit our research results page to see reports on cover crop variety trials (including cover crop mixes), planting date and seeding rates, and cover crop termination and reduced tillage studies.

We invite you to receive regular updates on cover crops (plus no-till, soil building, improving crops, and more) by signing up to receive our Out Croppings blog posts.