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SE PA | that's exactly what some farmers are doing- trying to figure out how cover crops can be used in very dry conditions. What i just saw in South Texas was encouraging- some farmers are making it work. One watermelon farmer has hundreds of acres in cover crops. He does have irrigation but the cover crops are allowing him to use less water in a yearly basis. Sugar cane grower are planting sunn hemp and radish between harvests. The whole thing works because you are increasing soil health- that's the key. As you stated, you can't just plant a cover crop in a system that is not designed for cover crops. you have to take advantage of opportunities when you have moisture and exploit that. Tilling up a fallow soil a few times between crops uses up moisture as well. also degrades the soil even more and soil temps are very high. If that soil is covered it will be a much lower soil temperature, saving valuable microbes as well. It all comes down to strategic management to make it work. I've seen it work in Alberta, North Dakota, and now south Texas-all areas that tend to be dry. Cover cropping is not easy anywhere but once you understand the dynamics it has to offer in diversity and increasing soil health and how to MANAGE then, it can be a profitable experience. Email me and i can give you names to contact in south TX and they can tell you how they are doing it in ultra dry conditions. | |
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Agriculture in South Texas-pics
