By Dusty Sonnenberg, CCA, Field Leader, a project of the Ohio Soybean Council and Soybean Checkoff

As harvest rolls on across the Buckeye state, many farmers are asking if it is too late to plant cover crops. One of the biggest risks with late-planted fall cover crops is failure to establish a stand, often due to insufficient soil moisture. Given the calendar date and extremely dry conditions in many areas, concerns about cover crop germination and emergence are valid.

Sjoerd Willem Duiker, Ph.D., CCA, is a professor of soil management and applied soil physics at Penn State University. His work has focused on no-till systems, including diverse crop rotations and cover crops to improve soil health and crop productivity.

Duiker says dry soil conditions will affect planting decisions.

“If

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