How Cover Crops and Cover Crop Seed Help Farmers

-

Cover crops—also known as green manure—can be one of a farmer’s very best friends. Not only is it easy to plant and care for cover crop seed, cover crops can:




· Improve the soil in which they are grown

· Prevent weeds from overrunning the land

· Help prevent the spread of various diseases and pests

· Allow other crops to grow and flourish

Regardless of the size of a particular farming operation, these crops can help any other vegetables that farmers might produce. This article will go over the benefits of planting cover crops seed. After that, we will look at a few examples of good, easy-to-grow cover crops.

Benefits of Cover Crops

As mentioned above, planting the seeds of cover crop can have help farmland in a variety of ways. These include:

Conserving Water and Soil

The mulch from cover crops allows more water to permeate the soil in which it grows. It also reduces the amount of water that evaporates from the soil’s surface as well as runoff after a rain.

Restoring Nutrients and Organic Matter to the Soil

By planting cover crop seed and letting cover crops grow and decompose, farmers can add the crops’ organic matter to the soil. This helps build up levels of nutrients like nitrogen, calcium and magnesium within the soil, which other crops can use to grow.

Keeping Weeds from Spreading

Whenever soil is bare, weeds use it as an opportunity to set up residence. Cover crops keep these interloping plants from sucking up water and nutrients from a farmer are other crops. They do this by taking up space and creating shade, thereby giving weeds less opportunity to take root.

Protecting Crops from Pests and Diseases

By adding their organic matter to the soil, cover crops help feed microbes that ward off various diseases. Cover crops can also create hospitable environments for insects that feed on pests.

Forage Complete can provide farmers with high-quality cover crops like smash mustard and rocket lettuce. By planting alfalfa seed such as these, farmers can break up hard ground, suppress weeds and enrich the soil for future crops.

About Forage Complete

Forage Complete is a top supplier of cover crop seed, non GMO alfalfa seed and other high-quality forage seed products. By combining innovative genetic technology withthorough research and testing, the company provides farmers with some of the finest seed available anywhere.

For additional information, visit Foragecomplete.com

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Importance of Alfalfa as a Crop and Animal Feed

-
Image
Alfalfa is among the most important forage crops in the world. Also known as “The Forage Queen,” it is one the top five crops grown in the United States (the others are corn, soybean, wheat and cotton). What makes it so special? Read below to find out.   Where Does Alfalfa Grow? Alfalfa grows in most of the US. The largest producers include California, Idaho, Montana, South Dakota and North Dakota. According to research, the average annual yield of alfalfa in the US is approximately 3.35 tons per acre. Farmers often grow it with several other plants, including legumes and grasses. Alfalfa is frequently used in biomass energy production. Also, it fixes more nitrogen than any legume crop can. This allows farmers to grow other crops easier and reduce their reliance on expensive nitrogen fertilizers.   Alfalfa in Animal Feed Alfalfa makes excellent animal feed. Not only is it a rich source of minerals and vitamins, it also contains up to 22% of crude protein. It contains vitam
Read more

The Importance of Alfalfa in Farming Operations

-
Image
Famously known as “The Forage Queen,” alfalfa is one of the most important forage crops in the world. The United States produces more alfalfa than any other country in the world and the top states in terms of overall production are California, Idaho, and Montana. In addition to its value for cattle grazing, hay and silage, alfalfa is very beneficial to organic farming operations as a cover crop and green manure.It reduces expenditures on nitrogen-based fertilizers since, in comparison to other crops—particularly legumes—alfalfa organically introduces higher levels of nitrogen into the soil. Alfalfa is an important crop because of its high biomass production and without the need for supplemental irrigation. As an animal feed, alfalfa is an outstanding staple for horses, cattle (dairy and beef), sheep, chickens, turkeys and other animals. It acts as a rich source of essential vitamins (A, E, K, D, B1, B2, B6, B12, C, and U), minerals (calcium, potassium, manganese, sulfur, an
Read more

The Importance of the Cover Crop Seed in Organic Farming

-
Image
Organic farming is sustainable, profitable and healthy. Organic food gives consumers a nutritious and ethical alternative to the products of industrial agriculture. Organic farming involves using natural fertilizers such as cover crops (also known as “green manure”) and compost manure. Farmers also use techniques like companion planting, mixed planting, crop rotation and biological pest control to produce the best crops. Cover crop seed helps nurture soil in a variety of ways. The biggest benefits of using green manure or cover crops include: • Inhibits soil erosion by water and wind – When a piece of farmland is left bare, it is vulnerable to water and wind erosion. The roots of cover crops hold the soil in place and keep it from getting washed or blown away. They protect the rich topsoil and prevent the compaction of the soil underneath. • They add organic matter to the soil - The matter from organic crops enhances the soil in which it is planted. It provides the soil wit
Read more