Cover Crops: An Idea Worth Planting? | Samantha Tellatin | TEDxMU

How many times have you been on a road trip bound towards a beautiful mountain scene or national monument? Did you notice the land you passed along your way, and how memorable were the farms that you saw? By understanding the story of land, we can better connect to it. On farms throughout the United States, cover crops have the potential to shape a resilient future for all of us. In this talk, we’ll explore what cover crops are and why they are an idea worth planting.
Sami graduated from MU in 2015 with a B.S. in BioEngineering. At MU she worked with the BioEngineering “Green Team” to transport food waste from campus to Bradford Research Farm, to be transformed into compost. She also worked at the Root Cellar, a local food hub in Columbia, and upon graduating from MU began working in Ferguson, Missouri at EarthDance Organic Farm School. Now, Sami has again landed in Columbia to work as an Extension Associate at MU, in the Division of Food Systems and BioEngineering. This role allows her to work with farmers, non-profit leaders, government organizations, private industry companies and other extension employees to further soil health initiatives across the U.S. Her focus in particular is understanding and communicating the economic and environmental impacts of soil and land stewardship practices, and empowering farmers to adopt these practices to maximize their farm's long term viability.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at ted.com/tedx

[@jamestucker3260]

Great job, Sami! Hope all is well!

[@thebestdirt]

I planted corn into a cover crop called fixation it's a white clover, rolled planted green on 1 ac no fertlizer or nitrogen, planted may 25th in southern ky it yielded 130 bu. where i side dressed 120 units of N yield was 180bu. my pic is a pic of the planting green

[@johngoudge5916]

The real question is the profit realized. Increased yield is itself meaningless.

[@wendyscott8425]

@@johngoudge5916 Perhaps, but it seems to me if you can grow more with less in expenses, that equals more profit. Unless I'm missing something?

[@johnfitbyfaithnet]

Great information listening from Brownwood Texas thank you

[@boriquayo2]

Functional ecological design is a better solution to food production. We can not depend on cover crops alone. I believe all layers of a forest, including Trees, shrubs, bushes, and perennial plants should be a part of all agricultural lands for long term stability and yield.

[@wendyscott8425]

She only had 16 minutes to talk about her subject. I agree, all these things help with a more balanced ecology. But cover crops are very impressive in themselves for fixing dead soil in a hurry. It only takes a few years before the soil has become rich in organic matter, worms, bacteria, fungi, and health for the plants and animals. People have found that using cover crops increases wildlife, too, such as birds and all kinds of insects, most of which are insect predators that eat the bad ones. They really are quite amazing, from what I've seen.

[@timkinrade9533]

"Before I talk about what you came here for, FIRE AND BRIMSTONE"

[@mikekraidy7467]

Most compaction is not physical, it is chemical. It is due to lack of calcium. Some of these cover crops like the radish will bring calcium up. Better to apply it instead though..

[@wendyscott8425]

The best way is to use a mixture of different cover crops at the same time. They seem to help each other. Nature never has just one species growing by itself, it's always around other species. Our native grasslands had a jillion different species of grasses and other plants, seeds of which were spread through the manure of the bison and birds. It must have been quite a sight.

[@Smedley60]

I have a small 450 square foot garden on which I began using cover crops last year. I like the results but bought seeds with only a general plan to help fix nitrogen, keep roots in the soil to enhance microbial activity, build organic matter, and keep the soil covered. If you know of any resources for helping to choose specific combinations of cover crop seeds based on plant and soil needs, I would be very grateful. Thank you for your presentation and the information that you offered. I think this is an extremely critical issue.

[@samitellatin4553]

Hi Randy, it's wonderful to hear that you're starting to use cover crops and that you were happy with your results! Thank you for your comment. I definitely agree - this is a very important topic. As for your garden, the Midwest Cover Crop Council has a Cover Crop Decision tool that may help you in your search for specific mixes to meet your plant and soil needs: mcccdev.anr.msu.edu/VertIndex.php There is also Green Cover Seed's SmartMix calculator (I mentioned this company in the talk): greencoverseed.com/smartmix And this recent article came out about a new study to analyze the ecosystem service benefits of cover crop mixes: news.psu.edu/story/424543/2016/09/07/research/first-kind-study-suggests-cover-crop-mixtures-increase I hope this is what you were looking for, let me know if there are any other questions you might have! Perhaps some other folks who've watched this video might have some other ideas, too.

[@Smedley60]

Wow. Thank you. That is easily the most thorough response I've ever received on KZbin. I'm already finding some interesting info on the Midwest Cover Crop Council site. Looking forward to going through the rest. Thanks again. I really appreciate your time.

[@samitellatin4553]

Awesome! I'm glad to hear that and happy to be of assistance. Happy learning!

[@mikebell3940]

Great info!!!

[@MegzeeR]

local horse manure, throw any leftover food into it, do NOT use any pesticides, use natural pest fighters like sage, lemon grass, garlic and lady bugs. Egg shells are great for replacing the calcium in the soil and even cotton clothes buried here and there to rot into the soil is great nests for insects and worms. :)

[@michaelvangundy226]

In the north half of the corn belt, the harvest for corn and soybean usually isn't over until snow is flying. It would be impossible to establish a cover crop of annuals with night time lows below freezing. Second, in the spring most farms need very little cover over the soil in order for the temperature to rise quickly. A two week delay would be disastrous. It is romantic to have ideas but be specific to a region. Be detailed about costs versus reward. Farmers are willing to change but crimson clover is $1.40 per pound. It takes 10 pounds to the acre. Most have 2500 acres, so that's $35,000 plus planting costs. What do you think the banker will tell the farmer? I need $50,000 to install a cover crop with $0.00 in return. But it may make the soil better if the crop does well.

[@samitellatin4553]

Hi Michael - thanks for your comment. I agree that it's very important to distribute region- and crop-specific information especially to farmers. With a time limit of 18-minutes for a TED talk, it's difficult to achieve that depth. Thankfully, there are incredible resources out there for farmers, especially in the northern half of the corn belt. The Midwest Cover Crop Council, for instance, has a decision tool that can help farmers throughout the Midwest make the best decisions based on their region, needs and cropping system. With respect to your specific points about planting dates and return on investment, I can share more information and welcome your feedback. The practice of interseeding cover crops into standing corn and soybean is being used more and more on farms across the U.S. This allows the cover crop to become established before harvest, and could prevent some of the issues you mention with cover crop establishment in the colder, northern regions. I can share specific information on this if you're curious. As far as return for farmers go, there are many research projects right now across the country to document the economic impacts of cover cropping. Aside from reducing fertilizer and pesticide inputs, cover crops have also been shown to increase yields of corn and soybean crops following the covers, especially as the cumulative duration of cover crop practice increases (1 year versus 5 year). I'm happy to share specific information on this as well. It's true that all of this will depend on the farm and how it's managed, and again, I agree with you about the importance of regionally specific information. I appreciate your comment!

[@michaelvangundy226]

Sami Tellatin The constant blaming of farms for phosphate runoff is long past history. Farmers have learned to only apply the amount needed and immediately incorporate it into the soil. This is typically done in the fall by a knife injecting it 2 inches to the side and 8 inches deeper than the crop. In some regions the crop residue can be left on top but most need to be tilled in. Windy areas and cold areas with heavy soil are two. A century ago grandpa would broadcast clover seed after the third cultivation in corn. This isn't effective in today's spacing and lack of tillage as cultivation. Keep compiling data and if someone makes a repeatable trial, post the data.

[@dinokpir]

Michael, If you have a cost share or subsidy to install plant cover crop, would it lead you to do so? Say instead out of $50,000 you mentioned above, just the planting cost of $15000. Would it be feasible or unreasonable? What would be your price per acre that will lead you to install that cover crop? Considering no till planting, would it be the price of installation of and roller crimping the cover crop? Carbon offset programs should support farmers to grow humus in the ground and sequester atmospheric carbon. This is one source of the cost share or subsidy.

[@MegzeeR]

Wow, so little imagination today. You don't plant the entire farming fields for the year. You plant 1/3 and put some livestock in it to graze...there's your cash crop and free fertilizer and soil regenerator right there. The next year you plant another 100 acres, move the livestock to that field to graze, the next year the next 100 acres. Ask Ireland how there single crop dependency worked out for them when disease wiped out their entire potato crop. Now it's 2 but still the same problem. Especially when counting on competitive global markets where western agriculture technologies are being utilized creating enormous amounts of competition for your 2 crops of corn and soy. When talking ONE PLANTING YEAR in such "what the banker says we must do" or die then YOU'RE NOT A FARMER...you're a corporation lackey who gets paid well to do as told and you got this way by destroying the family farmers who WERE RESPONSIBLE and respected the lands they were blessed with.

[@ChipSpencer123]

Regenerative farming so important

[@lunethgardens]

Not mentioned is that it's also likely the best method we have at the moment to start reversing climate change.

[@Smedley60]

Great point. Temperatures on thousands of square miles of bare soil are so much higher than on those covered in healthy, growing greenery.

[@alifasl533]

❤😍

[@rachnasingh7273]

Any suggestions for cover crops for non-farming land in mountains ?

[@samitellatin4553]

I don't know the answer to this question but will look into it! I mostly look at cover crops on annual crop systems in the Corn Belt of the U.S.. Have you found anything since asking this question?

[@MegzeeR]

@@samitellatin4553 wild flowers native to your area, grasses and brush bushes. Your local ag or conservation councils should be able to inform you of the varieties and how to plant them

[@calnaturally4810]

Thank you for your presentation. I have a motto, Every Man (and woman) is my teacher. I have to disagree with your statement about soil compaction. Equipment usage is not the reason we have compacted soils. If we have healthy soils, the use of equipment Is not as harmful. The reason we have compacted soil is because all of the life in the soil is dead or dying. Selecting for not only compacted soil but even more devastating, anaerobic soil conditions. Once we are there we invite all of the "Bad Biology" to thrive. Soil Biology is the key to our future success as farmers. Moreover, this issue quickly moves into a National Security matter, because we wont be able to compete with the rest of the worlds farmers. China is becoming the largest producer of corn for silage and human consumption. Who's next? Worm Gold is our vehicle by using worm castings to deliver not only nutrition but billions of bacteria, fungi and Protozoa with every batch of Worm Gold Solutions. Worm casting tea.

[@samitellatin4553]

I appreciate your comment! I believe there is merit in your statement that our soils (speaking to soils under conventional management in the USA) generally are lacking life and biology, and that this lack of life negatively impacts soil health. Earthworms have been called the "tillers" of the soil for good reason, and as you say, worm castings do indeed feed other life in the soil. However, there is a sufficient amount of peer-reviewed research that demonstrates how wheel traffic compacts soils. Certainly there are other factors contributing to soil compaction, but wheel traffic seems to be the dominant factor in our conventional operations. A quick search using the ACSESS digital library (freely available abstracts and searches) yields dozens of articles on soil compaction caused by wheel traffic. As you say, soil biology does indeed improve compacted soils, and cover crops are a part of this complex cycle. As one study discovered: "At this location, with or without deep tillage, soybean yields were significantly greater following a “forage radish + rye” combination cover crop. Rye left a thick mulch, resulting in conservation of soil water early in the season. Root channels left by forage radish may have provided soybean roots with low resistance paths to subsoil water. Due to lower than normal winter precipitation, this study was a conservative test of the cover crops' ability to alleviate the effects of soil compaction" (Williams and Weil, 2004). dl.sciencesocieties.org/publications/sssaj/abstracts/68/4/1403 I do not mean to imply in the talk that we need to stop using equipment in agriculture; rather that if we utilize cover crops and restore soil biology, we can alleviate compaction that results from equipment use and restore soil health.

[@bairdrocker1603]

Hey Sami, We are almost saying the same thing. In my opinion, when you have healthy soil and a healthy community of soil biology, the tracks left behind by the piece of equipment, the soil will slowly bounce back to where it was. There is no way equipment alone compacts soil. However, if the soil has become anaerobic like here in the central San Joaquin Valley, then equipment will contribute to compaction. Please visit my website, calnaturally.us. not .... its still under construction but read our mission statement. We directly link issues of falling and inconsistent farm production to anaerobic soil conditions. Farmers are actually, unknowingly selecting for the Bad biology to thrive. If there is no natural respiration of the soil, with an exchange of gases 4 ft. down every 12-16 hrs. then there can be no sequestration of nitrogen (for soil building) or greenhouse gases. Conventional farming practices in the US. is the largest contributor to this issue. Well maybe the loss of the permafrost in Alaska will become the leader. I'm no expert but I am "soil focused" and farming for the 60 years has been "plant focused". This must change or our place in the world market will be negatively affected and is now a national security issue. It will only get worse if we continue to use synthetic NPK products and pesticides. Please respond back with any critique or advice, as I said, I'm no expert. Thanks, Baird Rocker

[@thebestdirt]

The leading cause of compaction is rain on bare soil

[@MegzeeR]

Because corporation farming doesn't use crop rotation and using the resting field each year for livestock grazing and fertilizing. It's all corn, soy and chemicals. At least here. I used to see corn and soy but with healthy tree lines between fields and around 20 feet between roads and fields for nature's creatures like bobtail, rabbits, bugs and critters of all varieties. Winter wheat, potatoes, green beans, alfalfa, hay and all varieties of livestock in fields. Now it's ALL FIELD CORN AND SOY BEANS....AS FAR AS THE EYES CAN SEE...FOR DAYS.

[@wendyscott8425]

@@bairdrocker1603 I live in the Central Valley and am looking for farms where they use cover crops and use little to no chemicals. Do you know of any? I would love to buy grass-fed beef and fruits and vegetables grown on healthy soil. Thanks. I tried clicking your link, but it didn't work.

[@johngoudge5916]

A bit of nit picking. Fritz Haber invented nitrogen fixation before WWI. It allowed Germany to produce explosive in WWI, thus prolonging the war to 1918. Liked the rest of it.

[@HigherSofia]

Sorry, have to do some nitpicking myself. It was a norwegian professor of physics named Kristian Birkeland who found out how to fixate nitrogen from the air, by accident, in 1905. Google: Birkeland-eyde process

[@samitellatin4553]

Thanks for these comments! The more you know...

[@boriquayo2]

Correction: God invented nitrogen fixation when he created the plants that do this naturally.

[@agdayem]

Felt like a high school powerpoint presentation