Northern Iowa farmer Wayne Fredericks believes you should practice what you preach “or you shouldn’t be out there preaching.” He believes cover crops can make a dramatic difference in keeping nutrients and soil on farms and out of the creeks and rivers. He has gradually added acres to his cover crop seeding each year, and this fall he plans on “seeing green” on all his cropland acres.

Fredericks is glad to tell his story because he’s learned a lot along the way. He was one of the first in his county to plant cover crops. His neighbors were curious and eager to learn more, and he acknowledges it’s a drastic departure from farming systems of the past.

“We have to adopt a tillage system that improves the success of cover crops. In southern Iowa and the more rolling country, where they are already in a no-till system, they are in a perfect position to quickly implement cover crops,” says the Mitchell County farmer. “Here in north-central Iowa, we have to find a different way to incorporate cover crops because of our soil types. We have been advocating strip till, no-till, or a strip till and no-till combination system.”

Cover helps control weeds
Fredericks immediately saw the benefits from the new system. “We saw enough economic benefits from a labor and machinery standpoint that I felt there was enough margin to buy the cover crop seed,” he says, noting the added benefits of improved weed control.

Fredericks encourages farmers to start planning for planting cover crops now. Stop by your local USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service office to find out what programs are available for cost share. Programs can vary by watershed.

While you are there, inquire about custom services in your area. Find out who can help you with applying cover crop seed. Then work with your crop adviser or local agronomist to make a cover crop management plan.

Bryce Nelson of Advantage Crop Consulting Inc. works with Fredericks to determine that plan. Fredericks says he appreciates the time Nelson spends analyzing the data, as it helps him prioritize fields. The two agree that one of the benefits of having a crop consultant is they see what’s working with other farmers in the area and can transfer information among farmers.

“To be successful in adopting a new farming practice, you must be willing to learn something new and have the patience to make it work,” Nelson says.

Fredericks encourages farmers to pick one field to get started with cover cropping. “If you have a field with soil erosion problems, that’s a good place to start, as you will immediately see the benefits from keeping soil where it belongs,” he says.

Over time, Fredericks has noticed the improvements to water infiltration and soil quality. “I found roots 40-plus-inches deep from cereal rye. So, we know the roots can go deep and replace the tillage tool,” he says. “And of course, I know I’m adding organic matter to my soil by cover-cropping and improving the value of the land.”

Cost-share programs
Costs can be a hurdle for some considering cover crops, but Fredericks quickly overcame that obstacle. “Society expects us to do a better job of taking care of the land and our water,” he says. “I believe farmers need to contribute to the solution, but I also believe that society can contribute. That’s why I encourage farmers to look into cost-share options to help pay for the cost of the cover crop seed and the seeding.”

If farmers change the landscape of agriculture and plant cover crops on most of the row crop acres in Iowa and other states, “our water quality concerns will dramatically diminish,” Fredericks says.

Nelson adds, “Wayne has made up his mind that he’s going to make cover crops work on his farm, and when you do that, when you adopt that mindset, you find a way to make cover crop success happen. That’s the kind of mindset needed to make a new practice effective in the long run.”

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Source: 4RPlus program