Managing Cover Crops Profitably, 3rd edition
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Across America, tens of thousands of farmers are planting cover crops, a time-tested method of revitalizing soil, curbing erosion, and managing pests. Bryan and Donna Davis love what cover crops have done for their corn/soybean rotation. The Grinnell, Iowa couple relies on rye and oats to feed their soil and manage pests on their 1,000-acre, mostly no-till farm. "We have cut our chemical costs cut dramatically, and have reduced fertility costs in some fields by half" says Bryan. "With energy costs these days, you can't afford not to do this."
Revised and updated in 2007, the 3rd edition includes a new chapter on brassicas and mustards, 16 farm profiles, and a comprehensive chapter on the use of cover crops in conservation tillage systems. Updates throughout are based on more than 100 new literature citations and consultations with cover crop researchers and practitioners around the country. Appendices include seed sources and a listing of cover crop experts.
"This is the best book I have ever read," says Wolfgang Rougle, of Twining Tree Farm in Cottonwood California. "It uses science to explain complex concepts, lays out options for different systems and climates, and allows innovative farmers to digest the information and make their own intelligent decisions. Thank you for the practical advice, acknowledgement of complex tradeoffs, specifics, details and conclusions."
