Ag Agencies Address Label Restrictions For Crop Rotations

Nov 24, 2014

The following guest article is by Craig Romary, environmental program specialist, and Tim Creger, pesticide program manager, for the Nebraska Department of Agriculture; and Mike Kucera, agronomist, NRCS National Soil Survey Center; Soil Quality and Ecosystems Branch

Once a pesticide is used in a cropping system, the restrictions on the label must be followed for the original crop it is used on, and any succeeding crops, until all restrictions on that label have been met. One of these is called the plant-back restriction. Plant-back restrictions exist for two reasons:

To avoid carryover pesticide injury to the subsequent crop (such as with herbicides).
To protect humans and livestock from elevated levels of pesticide residues that a succeeding crop may accumulate.

Because cover crops are re-emerging as an important practice for conserving soil, increasing soil water, and improving soil health and function, one needs to be aware of these restrictions and include them in the planning process. However, many of the plant species used in today's cover crop mixtures may not be specifically listed on the label to ensure establishment of the stand or the safety of the feed or forage. The following points highlight scenarios that may affect what is planted for cover crops and how they are used. Cover crops serve different purposes than forage crops although they may actually be the same species or mixture. The crop's end purpose — either cover or forage — affects plant-back and forage/harvest restrictions.

Cover crops are planted before or after harvest of the cash crop, where the cover crop will not be grazed or harvested for forage. It is acceptable to plant cover crop species, as long as the pesticide label does not specifically list plant-back restrictions for the cover crop species, or is silent on the cover crop species (not listed on the label). Some pesticide labels will list crop groups rather than specific crop species.

Forage crops are planted before or after harvest of the cash crop, where the crop will be utilized for grazing or as forage for livestock whose meat, milk, or other products will be marketed. If the pesticide label has any of the following, it is an obvious violation of pesticide laws when a prohibited cover species is planted or grazed/harvested for forage within that time:

specific plant-back restrictions for the crop species;
prohibitions against grazing/harvesting forage; or
limits on grazing/harvesting forage within a certain time following a pesticide application.

The absence of any particular forage/cover crop species on the pesticide label does not mean those plant species can be legally grown, harvested, or consumed by animals.

Source:unl.edu

Video: From Conventional to Regenerative: Will Groeneveld’s Journey Back to the Land

"You realize you've got a pretty finite number of years to do this. If you ever want to try something new, you better do it."

That mindset helped Will Groeneveld take a bold turn on his Alberta grain farm. A lifelong farmer, Will had never heard of regenerative agriculture until 2018, when he attended a seminar by Kevin Elmy that shifted his worldview. What began as curiosity quickly turned into a deep exploration of how biology—not just chemistry—shapes the health of our soils, crops and ecosystems.

In this video, Will candidly reflects on his family’s farming history, how the operation evolved from a traditional mixed farm to grain-only, and how the desire to improve the land pushed him to invite livestock back into the rotation—without owning a single cow.

Today, through creative partnerships and a commitment to the five principles of regenerative agriculture, Will is reintroducing diversity, building soil health and extending living roots in the ground for as much of the year as possible. Whether it’s through intercropping, zero tillage (which he’s practiced since the 1980s) or managing forage for visiting cattle, Will’s approach is a testament to continuous learning and a willingness to challenge old norms.

Will is a participant in the Regenerative Agriculture Lab (RAL), a social innovation process bringing together producers, researchers, retailers and others to co-create a resilient regenerative agriculture system in Alberta. His story highlights both the potential and humility required to farm with nature, not against it.