Farmer interest in cover crops is flying higher than unmanned aerial vehicles – ag drones, that is. And rightly so.

Teamed with no-till and crop rotations, cover crops boost corn and soybean yields, increase water absorption into the soil profile, reduce nutrient and sediment losses, plus create healthier soils. That's incentive enough to pursue cover crops.

LET ROOTS WORK! That's part of the message from Tracy Blackmer, research director for Cover Crop Solutions, formerly research director for the Iowa Soybean Association.

Now, there's even more pressure for Midwest and Southern farmers to move beyond no-till in the 31 watershed states. U.S. EPA and USDA are pushing tougher soil and water conservation measures to address the Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone. And the U.S. Geological Survey recently announced use of optical sensor technology to track the basin's "nitrate pulse".

Bone up on soil health and cover crops
Cover Crop Solutions recently held a "Making Cover Crops Pay" event in Pennsylvania that drew more than 200 farmers, plus key personnel from EPA and USDA. A second, intensive two-day session is set for Memphis, Tenn., on Tuesday, Nov. 18 and Wednesday, Nov. 19.

Thinking About A Cover Crop? Start With Developing A Plan
Taking time to design your cover crop plan will increase the successful establishment of the crop and potentially allow for improved staggering of fall harvest.

An evening "Meeting of the minds" session on Tuesday, Nov. 18, brings together cover crop farm innovators and experts at the Hilton Memphis Hotel. They'll address cover crop's link to soil health and the latest research on cover crop profitability. Admission is free.

Next morning, the "Making cover crops pay" field day tour kicks off early at the Cover Crop Solutions Discovery Farm outside Memphis. It's free, but pre-registration is required. Field day topics include cover crop types, mixes plus root systems, growth and timing.

Dawn Equipment will also demonstrate a new planter attachment tool for planting crops into standing cover crops. For more details on it, click on: Game-changing Cover Crop Tool Arrives - Farm Progress.

For complete program details and to register, click on www.covercropsolutions.com/field-days-2014/memphis.php .