A cover crop can play a valuable role in ensuring that a cropping operation grows and remains sustainable. Cover crops can be tricky to manage, however. In this first article in a series of three, veteran US farmer and cover crop coach Steve Groff explains why a farmer should not give up when trying to grow a cover crop for the first time. Lloyd Phillips reports.
The use of cover crops as a conservation agriculture tool is relatively new in South Africa. It is therefore important that the country’s farmers work together to adapt cover cropping methods to suit production conditions here if this beneficial concept is to gain widespread traction and achieve the envisaged results, says US farmer and cover crop coach Steve Groff.
“At first, not every idea will work, but teamwork and persistence will ultimately pay off,” he says. “Cover cropping is a simple and good concept, but it’s complex to achieve success with it. Like no-till, cover cropping is a tool to achieve healthy soil and resultant sustainable crop production. But a farmer must understand what the tool is intended for and how to use it properly for it to be effective.”
Groff advises newcomers to start by implementing cover cropping on only 10% of their lands.
“[In this case,] if you fail at first, it’s unlikely to have any significant negative impact on your farming business. You can then try again along a different route until you get cover cropping right. When you get it right, you can gradually expand its use across your farm.”
According to Groff, a crop farmer should manage the soil to mimic undisturbed natural conditions, where a wide variety of plants grow in the soil and help form it. While it may not always be possible for crop farmers to have diversity at all times, the goal should be to implement it whenever the opportunity presents itself. This could be in off-crop seasons, via intercropping, or on a part of the farm that is being rested.
‘TREAT COVER CROPS AS YOU WOULD CASH CROPS’
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