A guest speaker at this week's Soil Health and Cover Crop Information Day at the Parrish and Heimbecker Elevator in Amberley explained the numerous benefits to planting cover crops.
But Lawrence Levesque, the Western Ontario Sales Manager for Mapleseed, also stressed the importance of finding the right cover crop for the right situation.
Levesque says the main benefit of cover crops is they provide organic matter for the soil, but they also protect the soil from surface erosion as well as nutrient erosion from rain water through the ground.
He also pointed out the importance of finding the right cover crop for the situation.
He recommends mixtures because they provide a variety of benefits.
Levesque explains grasses provide organic matter while legumes provide more nitrogen and still others are more helpful in breaking hard, compacted soil.
He suggests that farmers do their homework and determine what they want their cover crop to achieve before choosing the right one for them.
Levesque also pointed out farmers should make sure they have the right equipment to plant the cover crop they've chosen and also make sure they have a plan to eradicate it.
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Lawrence Levesque of Mapleseed says one of the main benefits of cover crops is the organic matter they provide for the soil.
[audio mp3="http://blackburnnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/LEVESQUE-Cover-1.mp3"][/audio]
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Levesque suggests a mixture is the best option in most situations.
[audio mp3="http://blackburnnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/LEVESQUE-Cover-2.mp3"][/audio]
