The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) has announced awardees of its AFRI Sustainable Agriculture Systems Program. Two CAFNR researchers were part of the 2021 awards. Keri Jacobs, associate professor of agricultural and applied economics, and Morgan Davis, assistant professor in soil and environmental sciences, received funding for a study led by researchers…
Cover crops ⋅ Page 1
Uncovering the Economic Sense of Planting Cover Crops
CAFNR researchers conduct study of the economic effects of cover crops on cash crop production
Proponents say that rotating cash crops such as soybeans, wheat and corn with cover crops such as legumes, grasses and forbs has many benefits. It replenishes the soil, reduces erosion, cuts down on runoff pollution and helps to control pests. However, many farmers don’t use cover crops because they believe it cuts into their bottom line. There’s the cost to…
Research Center Magazine: Building a Foundation
Graduate student success a focus at Greenley
This story also appears in our University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources’ Agricultural Research Center Magazine. Stop by your local Research Center to pick up a copy! You can view the magazine online by clicking here: Road to Discovery. Each year, Kelly Nelson advises a handful of University of Missouri graduate students who are doing a…
Integrating Production Systems
Steven Kirk serves as technician on organic grant focused on cover crops and watermelons
Growing watermelons is nothing new for Steven Kirk. Kirk has grown watermelons, in combination with cover crops, for several years – more so as a cultural practice than a research study. That all changed three years ago, when Deborah Finke, an associate professor in the Division of Plant Sciences, was able to secure a grant from Ceres Trust to study…
Study Shows Cover Crops Help Soils After Flooding
MU Extension planted a variety of cover crops at Graves-Chapple Research Center
A four-year study by University of Missouri Extension seeks to find how cover crops can best benefit soils after flooding and prevented planting. MU Extension agronomist Wayne Flanary shared initial results at a recent crop advisers meeting in St. Joseph. The study looks at the impact of cover crops in the recovery of flooded soils. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service…
Meeting Their Goal
Graves-Chapple Research Center brings in nearly 200 for Field Day
Nearly 200 individuals attended the Graves-Chapple Research Center Field Day and engaged with University of Missouri faculty and MU Extension agents on Tuesday in Rock Port, Mo. The Field Day featured several speakers who presented on numerous topics. “We had a really good crowd and some really good weather,” Superintendent Jim Crawford said. “Overall, it was a really good day.”…
Twilight Tour a Big Success
Hundley-Whaley Twilight Tour showcases various research
The first ever Hundley-Whaley Research Center Twilight Tour was a big success, bringing in nearly 150 attendees on Tuesday, Aug. 23. The attendees heard about the various research being conducted at the Center, located in Albany. Topics included weed management, soybeans, cover crops, and drainage and subirrigation. “Our first Twilight Tour went very well,” Superintendent Bruce Burdick said. “Several of…
A Closer Look at Cover Crops
Greenley Research Center adds cover crop tour to annual Field Day lineup
The 38th annual Greenley Memorial Research Center Field Day, set for Tuesday, Aug. 4, will offer a variety of topics, including a special look at cover crops. Along with agronomy and beef tours, the Greenley Research Center has added a cover crops tour, which will focus on several areas of cover crop management. “We’re really excited with the addition of…
From Cover Crop Conference Comes Congratulations
CAFNR adjunct professor Rob Myers will receive the President's Leadership Award from the Soil and Water Conservation Society this July
This summer, Rob Myers, an adjunct associate professor in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, will receive the President’s Leadership Award from the Soil and Water Conservation Society. The SWCS is a nonprofit scientific and educational organization that “serves as an advocate for conservation professionals and for science-based conservation practice, programs, and policy.” The society boasts more than 4,000…
Our Most Precious Resource
Taking the long view for sustaining Missouri's soils
Peter Scharf discusses the status of Missouri’s topsoil, changes in erosion pressures and how Missouri farmers can sustain the resource for generations.