Attend ‘Cover Crops: Setting up for Success’ Aug. 17 in Lamberton

Plan to attend “Cover Crops: Setting up for Success” on Aug. 17, at the Southwest Research and Outreach Center, Lamberton. Check-in starts at 8:30 a.m., and the program will run 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., with lunch included. Plan to arrive on time as a field tour of cover crop research trials will commence promptly at the start of the event, weather permitting. The event will be held, rain or shine.

While cover crops have the potential to provide many benefits, they are currently planted on a limited number of acres in Minnesota. The field day will highlight U of MN research that provides guidance to help farmers successfully incorporate cover crops into Minnesota cropping systems.

Attendees will learn about the latest U of MN cover crop research results and management considerations, the potential role for cover crops in carbon markets, and how various cover crops perform when planted in the summer. The program is for farmers, with or without cover crop experience, and for anyone who works with farmers and would like to learn more about cover crops.

Tour stops and topics include:

• Interseeding cover crops in corn

• Summer seeding/prevent plant options

• Planting green/termination trial

• Cover crops and residual herbicides

• Cover crops and carbon sequestration

• NCR-SARE resources and opportunities

Speakers include:

• Professor Jay Norton, Extension Soils specialist/director U of Wyoming Soil Resource Laboratory

• Axel Garcia y Garcia, associate professor/Sustainable Crop Systems specialist, Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics, SWROC, Lamberton

• Ethan Ley, graduate research assistant, Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics

• Gregg Johnson, associate professor, Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics, SROC, Waseca

• Liz Stahl, Extension educator, Crops, Worthington Regional Extension Office

• Wayne Martin, Extension educator, Alternative Livestock Systems

There is no cost to attend, thanks to sponsorship from Minnesota North Central Region-Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (MN NCR-SARE). Pre-registration is strongly encouraged by Au.11 for planning purposes at https://z.umn.edu/covercropfieldday. Later registrations and walk-ins are still welcome but timely registration is required to ensure yourself a meal.

For further details and to register, go to https://z.umn.edu/covercropfieldday.

Source: Lizabeth Stahl, University of Minnesota Extension, 507-372-3900 ext. 3912, stah0012@umn.edu.