Cover crop termination review for 2023

Apr 13, 2023

Editor’s note: The following was written by Meaghan Anderson, Iowa State University Extension field agronomist in central Iowa, for the Integrated Crop Management blog April 3.

The warmer weather forecast has me thinking about new beginnings and the resurrection of our dormant overwintering cover crops. While some will let the covers grow for some time yet, those covers in fields going to corn this spring will likely be terminated in the next few weeks.

Regardless of when you choose to terminate your cover crop, remember that the best management practice is to terminate 10-14 days ahead of corn planting. Timing is less critical for soybean, but killing the cover crop prior to soybean emergence reduces risk to crop yield.

Herbicidal termination is going to be the most effective method available to most farmers, and despite substantial research into alternatives, glyphosate remains the most consistent product to kill grass species.

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Video: Finding a Balance of Innovation and Regulation - Dr. Peter Facchini

Regulations help markets and industry exist on level playing fields, keeping consumers safe and innovation from going too far. However, incredibly strict regulations can stunt innovation and cause entire industries to wither away. Dr. Peter James Facchini brings his perspective on how existing regulations have slowed the advancement of medical developments within Canada. Given the international concern of opium poppy’s illicit potential, Health Canada must abide by this global policy. But with modern technology pushing the development of many pharmaceuticals to being grown via fermentation, is it time to reconsider the rules?

Dr. Peter James Facchini leads research into the metabolic biochemistry in opium poppy at the University of Calgary. For more than 30 years, his work has contributed to the increased availability of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic genes to assist in the creation of morphine for pharmaceutical use. Dr. Facchini completed his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Toronto before completing Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky in 1992 & Université de Montréal in 1995.