Cover Crop Response to Herbicides

Sep 10, 2020

By Sarah Lancaster and DeAnn Presley et.al.

As we approach September, some producers are thinking about seeding winter cover crops in fields currently planted to corn. The successful establishment of winter cover crops is influenced by several factors that are discussed in a previous eUpdate (New cover crop factsheet discusses planting cereal rye after corn harvest ahead of soybean - https://bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/pubs/MF3504.pdf). This article will provide some additional details about cover crop responses to various herbicides.

Cover crop response to herbicides will be influenced by a number of factors, including biological and biochemical characteristics of the plant, chemical characteristics of the herbicide, and weather conditions since herbicide application. Table 1 summarizes the response of selected cover crops to selected herbicides. For simplicity, no herbicide premixes are included in the list. Recommendations are conservative estimates based on published field research and herbicide labels.

Table 1. Likelihood of injury to selected cover crops when planted in the fall after a spring application of selected corn herbicides. Green = injury unlikely; Yellow = injury possible; Red = injury likely; white = sufficient data not available.

The use of trade names is for clarity to readers and does not imply endorsement of a particular product, nor does exclusion imply non-approval. Always consult the herbicide label for the most current and update use requirements.

Source : ksu.edu

Video: Root Exudates, Soil Biology, and How Plants Recruit Microbes | Field Talk Friday

Field Talk Friday | Dr. John Murphy | Root Exudates, Soil Biology, and How Plants Recruit Microbes

Most of us spend our time managing what we can see above ground—plant height, leaf color, stand counts, and yield potential. But the deeper you dig into agronomy, the more you realize that some of the most important processes driving crop performance are happening just millimeters below the surface.

In this episode of Field Talk Friday, Dr. John Murphy continues the soil biology series by diving into one of the most fascinating topics in modern agronomy: root exudates and the role they play in shaping the microbial world around plant roots.

Roots are not passive structures simply pulling nutrients out of the soil. They are active participants in the underground ecosystem. Plants constantly release compounds into the soil—sugars, amino acids, organic acids, and other molecules—that act as both energy sources and signals for soil microbes.