Maximizing On-Farm Solar Energy Harvest with Cover Crops
Wayne Fredericks, a farmer in Osage, IA, has seen positive changes on his farm since he started maximizing his solar energy harvest by planting cover crops over the winter months.
Benefits that Wayne has seen from planting cover crops include:
- Improved crop resilience
- Higher water retention
- Better water quality
- Increased profits
But we can’t give the cover crops all the credit. Wayne implemented no-till on his farm, too–maximizing his solar energy harvest, sequestering carbon in the soil, and improving his soil’s health in the process.
Curious about the studies Wayne mentions in the video? Check them out!
- Quantifying soil carbon change in a long-term tillage and crop rotation study across Iowa landscapes (Al-Kaisi & Kwaw-Mensah, 2019)
- Changes in Soils and Crops along a Transformational Journey (Hatfield & Fredericks, 2022)
- Impact of Management Practices on Carbon and Water Fluxes in Corn-Soybean Rotations (Dold et al, 2019)
