With a vast portfolio of proprietary and partner brands, MFA offers the latest traits and technology to ensure you get the most return out of your seed investment.
With proper management and planning, cover crops can benefit a farm economically and environmentally. A cover crop is a plant that is used between cash crops or on fallow ground primarily to slow erosion, improve soil health, enhance water availability, smother weeds, help control pests and diseases, increase biodiversity and bring a host of other benefits to your farm. When choosing cover crops for your operation, select species that will work in your rotation and meet the goals you have for your farm. Use the soil health principles listed below to guide your decisions and help set goals for your operation.
Bare soil is more susceptible to high temperatures, which kill soil biology. Maintaining crop residue keeps soil cool and protected from erosion due to rain splashing on the soil surface.
Most cash crops are only actively growing for one-third of the year. Living plant roots help reduce compaction, scavenge nutrients and provide food for soil biology.
Frequent tillage decreases soil structure and water-holding capacity, which makes crops vulnerable to drought. Surface crusting can also reduce crop emergence. Increased runoff from compacted soil can cause extensive soil erosion.
Adding more species of plants growing on the soil surface will diversify the number of soil microbes that are actively working under the surface. Maintaining crop rotations, including small grains, and diverse cover crops can help keep more species of plants growing.
If you have a question related to one of MFA’s products, send us a message here. We will direct it to the appropriate expert and get you an answer. If you have specific questions about product availability or pricing at your MFA retail store, contact your MFA representative or use our Store Locator to find information for the location nearest you.