Enhancing Cover Crop Nitrogen Uptake with Improved Establishment

In the north central part of the US Midwest, the growing season often offers only a small opportunity for cover crop growth in the corn-soybean cropping system. In Minnesota fields, we show that with planting techniques that produce good seed to soil contact, along with choice of a species that will grow to produce at least 390 kg DM/ha, cover crops can effectively take up residual N to reduce risk of nitrate loss.