Injecting Manure Into A Growing Cover Crop
2022
- Department of Soil, Water and Climate, University of Minnesota
Project Media
There is growing interest in using cover crops to improve soil health and protect water quality. In cool, northern climates, however, the short growing season makes it more difficult to get cover crops established in the fall, especially on farms that also fall-apply livestock manure. Traditionally, manure is applied after the cash crop is harvested followed by cover crop seeding. This leaves little time – and growing degrees – for the cover crops to successfully establish. Interseeding cover crops into a cash crop allows more time for growth and is becoming popular. But how can manure be applied into a living cover crop without damaging it? Newer injection technologies allow liquid manure application beneath a living cover crop with minimal disturbance, but many questions about the practice remain. Our primary goals for this project were to develop and demonstrate best management practices for the integration of cover crops and manure injection. Secondarily, we evaluated whether the combination of practices has added beneficial effects when compared to each practice alone.