On Monday, we started this multi-part series on cover crops by talking about what you should know when you are getting started with any kind of conservation farming practice. Today, we are continuing our talk with Holland, Iowa farmer Dale Launstein. We are talking about the challenges we are seeing with 2021.
2021 has been another headache of a year for much of Iowa. At least two-thirds of the state is in some form of a drought. Some places have had it worse than others. The effects have not been pleasant, no matter how you farm your ground. Challenges are facing conservation farmers as well as conventional farmers.
Launstein talks about what he is seeing in his fields this year. He says that just like everyone else, they are needing to get rain to help get that crop across the finish line.
Launstein admits that the effects of the drought will not be fully known until harvest. What he can tell us is that when he does get rain, he is keeping it in his soil. These claims are backed up by tests run by the soil conservation office.
Adaptation is the name of the game in agriculture. Wet conditions two years ago kept them from terminating their winter rye in one of their beanfields on time. They did learn that the rye that grew much taller helped their beans. The rye suppressed weed development even further, and kept the soil cooler, thus reducing stress on their beans. Since then, they have decided to keep that practice in their plans. Launstein says he is interested to see if that gave them an advantage in this drought year.
When we next visit with Dale Launstein, we will hear about how they have been able to improve their operation through the usage of cover crops. How they have seen improvements in weed control, yield, and environmental quality.
If you missed our first installment of this series, as it pertains to getting started in cover crops and conservation farming, you can find that story here.
