Cover Crops

Some of the management goals for which farmers use cover crops include:

• Suppressing weeds

• Protecting soil from rain or runoff

• Improving soil aggregate stability

• Reducing surface crusting

• Adding active organic matter to soil

• Breaking hardpan

• Fixing nitrogen

• Scavenging soil nitrogen

• Suppressing soil diseases and pests

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In 2019 Butler Soil and Water began the installation of a n 8 acre agriculture conservation education demonstration site (ACED) to demonstrate different practices such as grassed waterways, pollinator buffers, grass buffers and cover crops.  In this site there is over 4 acres of cover crop plots.  In the fall of 2019 there will be a cover crop filed day to highlight 8 different cover crop plots planted with everything from a single species to an 11 way blend of various cover crops.  Watch this page for more information and announcements concerning this event.

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