|
Leesburg, Ohio | Short answer is NO in my opinion.
Long answer:
Anything you remove from a field and off the farm takes nutrients with it. If those nutrients are not replaced, by definition, that is "mining the soil of nutrients". Growing other crops there will never replace those removed nutrients. Those other crops might RE-LOCATE and/or change the form of nutrients from lower soil strata, but the end result is less nutrients left in your soil on your farm.
Many of the cover crop systems certainly do benefit the soil organic matter levels and help soil tilth and structure. The only problem I have with those who want to grow a crop by using cover crops, extreme rotations, or whatever, without "conventional" fertilizer or manure added, is when they claim they are not removing any nutrients, or that there is an infinite amount of nutrients available and they will never "run out".
Go ahead and grow your crop however you see fit on your own land. But don't make the claim that you are not removing nutrients when you sell that crop off the farm. | |
|
Cover crop for fertilizer
