Grazing cover crops

Abstract

"Cover crop planting is becoming increasingly common in Missouri, practiced on 840,000 acres in 2017, more than double the acreage in 2012. While cover crops have been shown to pay for themselves through soil-health-related enhancements, such as input savings and modest yield boosts, there is a direct and easily tracked way of turning cover crops back into cash: grazing. With 11 million acres of row crops and close to 2 million grazing livestock animals (primarily cattle), Missouri might be better suited than any other state to capitalize on the grazing potential of cover crops. In addition to generating more income, grazing cover crops can have a positive impact on soil health. Manure, hoof action, and the root responses that grazing elicits stimulate soil biological activity and lead to healthier soil and healthier crops. This guide examines grazing cover crops from the perspectives of livestock owners and row crop farmers, and provides information on how to overcome some of the challenges that cover crops pose."--First page.Written by Joe LaRose (former Extension Specialist, Division of Food Systems and Bioengineering), Rob Myers (Director, Center for Regenerative Agriculture), Ashley Conway (Research Assistant Professor, School of Natural Resources), Harley Naumann (Teaching Associate Professor, Division of Plant Sciences and Technology)New 11/2021Includes bibliographical reference