Cover Crops

Evaluating Nutrient, Soil Health, and Economic Benefits of Compost Additions to Summer Cover Crops for Strawberries in North Carolina

Over the past 8 years, a team of multidisciplinary faculty and students at NC State University have conducted various field-based studies at the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) and on-farm research examining the impact of summer cover crops, compost additions and applications of beneficial arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and vermicompost on soil health, nutrient availability, and yields in conventional and organic strawberry production systems.

Cover Crop Establishment and Residue Management

Benefits associated with cover crops that may include erosion control, increased organic matter, increased water infiltration, and weed suppression are all typically enhanced as biomass levels increase. In order to ensure adequate levels of biomass, growers should recognize the importance of cover crop establishment.

Cover Crops Effective in Controlling Bermudagrass in Organic Production

GLENWOOD, Georgia – Bermudagrass may be popular among homeowners in the Southeast, but it is widely loathed by vegetable producers – especially those in organic production. As a turfgrass, bermudagrass is valued for its durability, vigorous growth and tolerance to extreme weather conditions. But those characteristics also make it an obnoxious weed. Spreading rapidly by […]

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 […]

Agroecosystems Research in the Texas High Plains: Graduate student studies

Since 1997, over two dozen Master’s, PhD, and visiting students have conducted research and published articles related to sustainable integrated systems research in the Texas High Plains.The following are examples of current studies by Texas Tech University graduate students.

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 […]

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 […]

Weed Control in the Organic Coffee Field

A video created by University of Puerto Rico outlining sustainable methods for controlling weeds in organic coffee fields. NOTE: This video is in Spanish, with English subtitles.

Organic Grain Production Video Series

A series of videos developed by University of Georgia, North Carolina State University and USDA-ARS on organic grain production.

Using Sunn Hemp as a Cover Crop in Oklahoma

OSU Extension fact sheet on sunn hemp as a cover crop.

Annual Cover Crops in Florida Vegetable Systems

Fact sheet series from the University of Florida IFAS Extension on integrating cover crops in vegetable production systems in Florida.

Organic Horticulture Training for the Southeast

An interactive website to help ag professionals develop successful organic education programs.

No-Till Cropping Systems in Oklahoma

This publication is designed to assist individuals interested in a no-till cropping system in making decisions that affect the production of their operation.