Achieving sufficient biomass from cover crops is essential to reaping their soil benefits. Dr. Humberto Blanco, Professor of Soil Management and Applied Physics at University of Nebraska-Lincoln, spoke recently at the University of Guelph about his cover crop research. He concluded that when cover crop biomass is less than 0.5 ton/acre (see Figure 1), benefits – such as improved soil…
Cereal rye has several strengths as a cover crop option. It’s relatively inexpensive and easy to kill. Rye improves soil structure, builds organic matter and helps protect against water and wind erosion. It also competes with weeds, as Mike Cowbrough has written here (see Figure 1). However, in most cases, rye doesn’t put on much growth until the month of…
Did you know that OMAFRA has a handbook that’s all about nutrients and soil fertility? It’s called the Soil Fertility Handbook and was first published in 1998. The book covers topics such as soil testing, soil pH and lime and fertilizer application. There’s a chapter on organic nutrient sources, like manure, biosolids and cover crops, as well as tips for…
With fall now officially here, thoughts are turning to harvest. And with each acre harvested, there is potential for a cover crop to be seeded. At this point in the season, the main cover crop option left is cereal rye. Not to be confused with annual ryegrass, rye is a cereal that is competitive, winter hardy and, like winter wheat,…
Strip-tillage is not a new practice – it’s been used by some Ontario growers for almost two decades. It’s gaining traction across the province more recently, however, due to advances in equipment, GPS technology, and advantages in fertilizer placement. What is strip-tillage? Strip-till is a system that creates residue-free strips that the following crop is planted into. The strips typically…
Sulphur (S) had been a neglected nutrient in Ontario for many years. For decades, in much of Ontario, sulphur came in significant quantities from the sky – deposited from emissions from industrial activity. Even before that, impurities in fertilizers and more widespread application of manure helped ensure a regular addition of sulphur to our soils. In recent years things have…
Correcting soil pH problems is one of the first steps in good soil management. If you have soil sampled recently and found that pH is low, you should act on it. Soil pH affects the availability of a wide range of nutrients in soil; if it is too low or too high, nutrients are less available to crops. If pH…
Before long, the 2018 winter wheat crop will be seeded across the province (Figure 1). Long-term research at the University of Guelph’s Ridgetown campus shows that winter wheat in rotation provides an additional 10 bushels per acre to corn and 5 bushels to soybeans. At current crop prices, that means an extra 107 dollars per acre over a rotation. What…
It is National Soil Conservation Week this week, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to look at the impact of erosion on soils in Ontario over the past few months. Throughout the middle of April we’ve had some intense rain events. We had a mild winter this year in southwestern Ontario, with little snow cover, and had…
Cover crops are well proven to help reduce soil erosion and improve soil structure. They can also have nutrient benefits. Whether you have been growing cover crops for decades or are just getting started, it is helpful to know what specific cover crops can (and cannot) do from a soil fertility standpoint. There are three main ways that cover crops…
We live in interesting times when it comes to understanding soils. Our concept of what soil organic matter actually is, how it is formed, and how long it sticks around is evolving. The basic principle that has guided management of soil organic matter (SOM) for many years has been that the level of soil carbon is determined by its net…
Regular soil testing is a critical component of good crop production. It allows you to monitor soil fertility levels, identify potential for nutrient deficiencies, and make fertilizer decisions based on the best possible information. Perhaps you had samples taken this fall and sent off, and have received the soil test report back (see Figure 1 for an example). Whether you…
Co-written by Dr. Laura Van Eerd, Associate Professor, Nitrogen Fertility and Cover Crops, University of Guelph Ridgetown Campus Soil organic matter (OM) is the single most important soil health property that you have influence over through your management. Soil OM is all living, dead or long dead (and decomposed) material. Higher soil organic matter translates into better water holding capacity,…
