Speakers:

Moderator: Bruce Knight, Strategic Conservation Solutions    

• Shalamar Armstrong, Purdue University, "Systems Approach to Cover Crops"
• Dan Quinn, Purdue University, "Corn as an integral part of the system approach"
• Sara Lira, Corteva, "Tell us more – New and Exciting (Perennial Ground Covers)"

Cover crops require a total systems approach to achieve success.

Research can provide information on how best to integrate cover crops and agronomic crops, based on phenotype and agronomics, to achieve the best overall economic return in a systems approach.

If corn doesn’t work in a cover crop system, many farmers will not use a cover crop. Research at Purdue University has examined different corn genotypes and nitrogen fertilizer rates in a Balansa Clover Cover crop (overwintering clover) system to examine how genotype x cover crop can improve corn yield and nutrient use efficiency in these systems. In addition, researchers have examined the role of corn in cover crop systems and how to improve corn management in cover crop systems so that yield is not lost, and nutrient deficiencies do not occur. Panelists in this session will also explore modeling for system success, breeding and testing of novel hybrids and varieties, and the potential of perennial groundcovers (PGC) and other ongoing research that could play a role in the successful production of the agronomic crop.