By Bailey Tangen and Anna Cates et.al
If you or someone you know planted cover crops fall 2024, help us get local data on spring growth that can help farmers make cover crop management decisions.
Join the ongoing effort for data collection
University of Minnesota Extension has partnered with the Great Lakes Cover Crop Project to build a regional dataset of cover crop performance across Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin. This data will identify the best cover crop types and practices for various growing conditions and inform management recommendations tailored to your region.
Why Participate?
- Earn $50 per field enrolled (up to three fields annually).
- Receive a personalized report with biomass and nutrient estimates for each field.
- Contribute to vital research that helps improve cover crop success for all farmers.
The importance of cover crops in Minnesota
Cover crops are important soil covers during times when fields are normally left bare. These covers protect soil, water quality, and farmers’ bottom lines. More green cover means that cover crops provide more benefits, so it’s important to understand how management influences the amount of cover crop growth.
We know that cover crops grow differently across the state since Minnesota has a wide gradient in precipitation and temperature. The University of Minnesota is conducting extensive research on cover crops across the state, but data on locally suitable practices and cover crop species are critical to supporting effective cover crop management.
Data collected from previous years shows us that management strategy makes a big difference in the amount of green cover protecting the soil. The more green cover, the more soil protection, less nutrients and sediment in the water, and better for farmers’ bottom lines!
Since biomass collection and processing takes a lot of time and effort, we are estimating biomass based on height measurements and photos. With this new protocol, farmers can easily gather and report data from their fields to help us understand trends in cover crop performance across many different locations and farming conditions.
Getting started
- Enroll: Visit z.umn.edu/GLCCP_en.
- Complete a Survey: This winter, fill out a 30-minute management survey.
- Collect Data: Follow simple instructions to collect field data right before cover crop termination in the spring (approximately 30 minutes).
Don’t miss this opportunity to help with local data collection and get up to $150!
Source : umn.edu