As subsidy programs incentivize more farmers to implement winter cover crops, a field agronomist says there are some additional management items to consider ahead of corn and soybean planting in the spring.

Chris Brown with Burrus Seed, covering east central Illinois up into Wisconsin, tells Brownfield timing is key when terminating a cover crop.

“For instance, in a rye cover crop situation, if you can get that terminated with a herbicide in that 3-4” up to 6” time frame, by the time you are ready to plant most of that rye is going to be dead or dying and easy to pass through.”

He says if farmers decide to plant into the growing cover crop, they need to monitor crop nutrition.

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