Written by cpm
Sowing a cover crop after harvest can be a great way of improving soil health and facilitating spring cropping, providing it’s carefully tailored to field requirements, crop rotation and other site-specific conditions. CPM finds out more Cover crops can serve many functions. By Paul Spackman As the main period for establishing cover crops approaches, Farmacy agronomist Alice Cannon gives her advice to help pick your way through the multitude of cover-cropping options for this autumn. Based on several years of research on farms in Lincs, she highlights four important areas to focus on. Large amounts of brassicas in a cover crop grown ahead of oilseed rape, could harbour diseases or pests specific to that crop. Her first pointer is to be absolutely clear about the purpose of including a cover crop in the farm’s rotation. “Cover crops can serve many functions depending on the species and varieties chosen, so being clear about what you want to achieve is fundamental when deciding what to grow,” she says. Alice highlights some of the most common reasons for growing a cover crop are to improve the soil structure, by breaking compaction and adding organic matter, and help manage soil moisture to…
The post Cover crops – Four-point plan for cover crops appeared first on cpm magazine.
Continue reading on CPM website...
If you are enjoying what you read then why not considering subscribing:
