Improving Soil Health in 60-inch Rows of No-till Corn Inter-seeded with Cover Crops

Join us as we visit Luke Bergler’s farm outside of Ridgeway, Minnesota and see first hand how inter-seeded cover crops are improving his profitability and soil health, while simultaneously feeding the soil biology.
Luke has had great success interseeding diverse cover crop mixes into V2-V4 corn. He then grazes the biomass and corn stalks with his cow herd after combining in the fall.
Luke has been adopting the soil health principles over the past several years and prioritizes armoring the soil, minimizing disturbance, incorporating livestock grazing, increasing diversity and having live roots 24/7.
Come along as Lance Klessig, Resource Specialist for the Winona County SWCD, walks us through the history of Luke’s journey into using cover crops and the “Why” behind using wide row corn interseeding. This video also showcases the equipment being used and additionally takes a close up look at the soils and soil life on this southeastern Minnesota farm.
Luke’s soil have been significantly improving regarding increased water infiltration rates, darker color and more biologic activity, better soil structure and improved organic matter percentages. He’s also observed major increases in earthworm counts which is a great indicator of healthy soil.
This farm has a solid history of planting corn and soybeans green into live cover crops, frost seeding cover crops in early spring, as well as growing diverse cover crop mixes for grazing as well as mechanical harvesting. The Bergler family have multiple farm enterprises including cattle, hogs, bees, goats, laying hens, corn, soybeans, hay, and cover crops. Luke and his family are innovators, lead by example, and farm regeneratively while building their precious topsoil.
Both Luke and Lance have become good friends with Gabe Brown, who farms outside of Bismarck, North Dakota. In June of 2019, Luke, Lance and a handful of friends spent an entire day touring Brown’s Ranch that spans 5,000 acres. They have found that networking and attending educational field days along with workshops are critical for those wanting to further journey into soil health. Later that year, they also attended a Soil Health Academy workshop with good friend, Mike Steinfeldt at Ray Archuleta’s farm in Missouri. Both guys definitely value learning, networking with like minded farmers and being willing to think outside the box.
For additional soil health videos featuring Luke or Lance check out the following:
• 🌻 Gabe Brown’s Most Pr...
• Using 60-inch Row Spac...
• WHY 60" Corn? 🌽🌽🌽
• Successful V3 Corn inn...
• Rotational Grazing of ...
• Our Soil Health Journe...
Lance Klessig Regenerative Agriculture Advocate - KZbin
#SoilHealth
#RegenerativeAgriculture
#Interseeding
#Covercrops
Videography by Dan Balluff.
For more information about the NRCS in Minnesota please visit our KZbin channel at: Minnesota NRCS - KZbin
And website at: www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/...

[@doncook3584]

I’m 70 and sure like seeing our food producers take care of the land. The first generation who came to America obviously didn’t have equipment to drill seeds and harvest vast fields so today the challenge is to quit tilling and killing soil life.

[@hendonfarm1015]

I’m curious if this gentleman had success with 60” rows and is he still doing it today. Great video !

[@patrickwolf4373]

What are you doing to get the corn seed spacing to 2-3 in spacing??

[@kosovakosova2659]

how did you make the dried herbs in corn?

[@user-wk7py9zg2r]

how much moisture do you have this year ?

[@earlmanigault4020]

What was herbicide managment here?just glyphosate?or residuals and post application?

[@winonacountyswcd9217]

Thanks Earl for the question. Generally just a burndown was sprayed on the cereal rye cover crop. We aren't sure of the exact chemistry mix but mostly glyphosate, correct. Herbicide was used just prior to interseeding. Thanks again for the question and if we get any other details from Luke we will pass that along. Best! - Winona SWCD

[@earlmanigault4020]

@@winonacountyswcd9217 Thanks!

[@winonacountyswcd9217]

@@earlmanigault4020 Absolutely!

[@cajagu1]

Is there an alternative to using herbicides and tilling to terminate cover corps?

[@glenfredrickson2881]

Yes it's called a Roller Crimper, only works with certain cover crops. The timing has to be just right, and the cover has to be mature enough.

[@winonacountyswcd9217]

Great question JD. Frost/winter, Grazing and roller crimping are three other options. They all work to varying degrees depending on the cover crop species. Generally a cover crop needs to mature to kill it with roller crimping.

[@cajagu1]

@@winonacountyswcd9217 Thanks for this, the key (if I want to avoid herbicides) seems to be to choose the cover crop wisely.

[@ndayishimiyeeric3540]

Hello sir, i really like agriculture sector I have Bachelor degree in agribusiness ,anyway how can get internship in your farm I'm from Rwanda in Africa

[@mighty_b0y]

how you can care about land so much on one hand, and on the other you are spraying it with Roundup ? that thing goes beyond me.

[@Man-cv5ws]

We’ll get yourself a hoe and start chopping if you hate roundup.

[@TioPablitoGaviria]

Using tillage creates much more damage to the soil than using just a herbicide to stop photosynthesis of plants. What is the alternative to herbicides? Intensive tillage again and again with all its negative aspects… -Soil degradation, -soil erosion, -loss of Humus, -66% more Diesel consumption in comparison with No till, -worse water infiltration -soil compaction -etc

[@ahmedhassouna8732]

هل يمكن زراعة الأرز بدون حراثة بين ذللك

[@markhasenour12]

That corn looks like absolute s#!t.. you would be better off raising a better corn crop and feeding your cattle corn than messing with some stupid cover crop....