News

Survey Shows Expanded Acreage and Yield Boost from Cover Crops

For the third year in a row, a national survey of farmers has shown that cover crops improve corn and soybean yields while providing a host of other benefits. The survey of more than 1,200 farmers revealed that cover crops boosted 2014 corn yields by an average of 3.7 bushels per acre (2.1 percent) and […]

Intensive Crop Rotations with Cover Crops Give a Boost to High-Value Cash Crops in Organic Production

ATHENS, Georgia – University of Georgia researchers developing a model for organic vegetable production in the Southeast have found success incorporating summer cover crops with high-value cool-season crops in a series of rotations that increase yields, control insects and diseases, improve crop quality and build soil biomass. The systems approach, say the researchers, can be […]

Native Warm Season Grasses Diversify Livestock Grazing/Support Biodiversity

MISSISSIPPI STATE, Mississippi – Native warm season grasses excel over more traditional commercial grass varieties when it comes to grazing livestock and promoting wildlife conservation, based on the results of a two-year Mississippi State University agroecology study. The study, funded by a Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SSARE) Graduate Student grant, compared native warm […]

Using Cover Crops for Pest Management on Small Farms

LIVE OAK, Florida – Two small farmers in Live Oak, Florida are partnering with University of Florida Extension to determine how cover crops can be used to manage insect pests. In a newly funded Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SSARE) On-Farm Research Grant, “Establishing and Evaluating Selected Cover Crops on Small Farms to Increase […]

UGA Researcher Studying Durana White Clover as Living Mulch in Corn Fields

TIFTON, Georgia -- Adding nitrogen to fertilize their crop is a substantial expense corn farmers have to consider when calculating their bottom line. A University of Georgia scientist hopes to help lower that cost by planting clover and corn together. With a $224,000 grant from the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program, UGA researcher […]