Cover crops are thirsty, but they also protect the soil surface and provide other benefits. How does this push-pull relationship play out in a drought year?

Dan Smith, nutrient and pest management outreach specialist at the University of Wisconsin, dug into their 2023 cropping systems study for some answers in June. Corn plants from the full tillage treatment were taller, but the roots and soil were powder dry. Some soil moisture was retained in no-till, but it was still very dry.

  
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