Cover Crops Boost Soybean Yields

By Scout Nelson

On February 19, 2025, the University of Minnesota Extension continued its "Strategic Farming: Let's talk crops!" webinar series, focusing on integrating winter rye cover crops into soybean production systems. This session, part of a broader 12-state effort, aims to reduce barriers and enhance the adoption of cover crops in the United States.

Axel Garcia y Garcia, a sustainable cropping systems specialist, alongside Liz Stahl, a crops educator, led the discussion on how crop modeling can assist soybean and corn producers. These models are crucial for understanding how to successfully incorporate a winter rye cover crop into rotations, maximizing benefits while managing potential yield impacts.

The team's research, funded by the United Soybean Board and managed by Iowa Soybean, involves detailed modeling of cover crops and soybean growth. This work spans several states including Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and others, examining how soil and weather conditions influence soybean yields following winter rye.

The research utilizes extensive soil and daily weather data collected over 34 years to predict cover crop biomass and subsequent soybean yield. The models also evaluate environmental impacts and economic aspects of cover cropping. Real-world data from on-farm trials across 48 location-years help calibrate and validate these models, ensuring their accuracy and relevance.

In Minnesota, for example, optimal rye planting dates around mid-September, followed by strategic termination timing, align well with the best planting dates for soybeans. The research suggests that adjusting soybean planting times post-rye termination can mitigate yield penalties and, in some cases, enhance yields.

This initiative not only provides valuable insights for individual farmers but also contributes to broader agricultural sustainability by promoting practices that benefit soil health and crop productivity. As this project progresses, UMN Extension hopes to offer actionable advice that farmers can use to optimize both their cover crop and soybean growth strategies effectively.

Photo Credits:gettyimages-eugenesergeev