This document summarizes a presentation on improving soil health for farmers. It discusses challenges in Lancaster County related to impaired streams and importing manure. Benefits of cover crops like increased water holding capacity and reduced weeds/herbicides are outlined. The presentation covers establishing cover crops through interseeding in June corn and late seeding mixes. Examples of planting green and managing 8000 pounds of biomass are provided. Effective manure management through liquid hog manure application is also discussed. Keys to improving soil health through no-till, cover crops, crop rotation, and grazing systems are presented. Contact information is provided for follow up.

1. Farmers Improving Soil Health
SWCS International Conference
July 29, 2019
Sustainable Row Crop Production
using No-Till & Cover Crops

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Hershey Farms
Elizabethtown, PA

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Challenges related to the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
• Lancaster County has
longest list of impaired
streams in Pennsylvania
• Importing manure from
Maryland
• WIP III Program
• Millions of dollars in grants
to implement BMP

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• Cover Crops
• Interseeding / Cover Crop Establishment
• Planting Green
• Cover Crop / Bio-mass management

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•Increases water holding capacity
•Reduces weed pressure
•Less herbicide
•Reduces crop stress
•Reduced slug pressure
•Increase organic matter
•Carbon sequestration
•Treat your Cover Crop like a “Cash Crop”

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Green cover – little is better than nothing

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Planting green

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8000# Bio-mass

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Growing cover crops gives you three
options…

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C / N Ratio

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Providing armor for the soil

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Cover crop bio-mass helps reduce soil temperature and
stress on crop development & growth

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5 things to remember
•Start simple
•Select the right equipment
•Select the right corn hybrids
•Nitrogen penalty due to the high carbon
•Select the right rate & right herbicide

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Interseeding in June

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60” Corn

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Early interseeding observations
• Incorporation is necessary
• Seeding rate of radish should be 2 lbs or less
• Early V5 is better than later
• Shade tolerant species is key factor
• Interseeded crop does not negatively effect cash
crop

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Late seeding cover crop
Rye 25 lbs, Wheat 25 lbs, Vetch 10 lbs

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How do you know if interseeding is
right for you?
•Do you want to protect your soil from
drying out and heat stress
•Do you want to add carbon / organic
matter to your soil?
•Are you trying to create a grazing crop
for late fall?

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Key things to remember
when interseeding
•Start with small acres
Use a grass and legumes in the mix
Use as many shade tolerant species as
possible
Plan a herbicide selection accordingly
Performance could vary from year to
year

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Manure Management

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7,000 gallon liquid hog manure

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1. No-Till
• Increased Soil aggregation
• Increased Water infiltration
• Carbon sequestration
2. Soil Fertility
• Enhanced by cover crop, crop rotation,
animal manure

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3. Building biological activity
• Restores the soil energy system
• Stimulated by multi-species cover crops
• Encourages beneficial insects
4. Well managed grazing system
• The “Cadillac” of soil health
• Increases soil fertility and captures
energy from the sun

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Two most important resource: Our
Water and ……
Chesapeake Bay

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…..and our soil

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• Jim Hershey, President PA No-Till Alliance
• Elizabethtown, PA
• 717-689-0235
• Jim.Hershey@yahoo.com
Contact Information