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SAUNEMIN, Ill. — Cover crops have been a part of Chuck Hanley’s farming operation for several years and he brought it to the next level this fall.
For the past five to six years, Hanley has been planting between 30 to 40 acres of cover crops each fall. He finished harvesting on Nov. 5 this year and started planting cereal rye cover crops the next day to take advantage of the unseasonably sunny, warm weather.
“This year it’s been working out well and I just went ahead and bit the bullet and we’re planting cover crops in this 100-acre field,” he said as Tony Drach, also of Saunemin, handled the planting duties.
“This 100-acre field was corn this past year and it’ll be soybeans next year. We’ll burn it down in the spring and no-till right into this. It’ll be up yet this fall and we’ll have a nice cover crop stand by spring.
“We’re planting at about 50 pounds per acre in 15-inch rows between the corn rows. So, we have two 15s and a corn row on either side.”
Soil Benefits
Hanley has seen the advantages as advertised that cover crops provide.
“Cover crops help hold the soil. They help with weed control and increase the soil organic matter. That’s one of the reasons we’re doing it — to increase the organic matter and for soil health. The ground seems so much mellower and it’s just in better shape,” he said.
The planting date varies each year, depending on when harvest is complete and the ground is fit.
“Last year I planted cover crops around Dec. 15 and it still came up. Right now we have an ideal time. The soil is in perfect condition. The weather is warm and it will get a good start this fall. By spring when we get ready to plant soybeans we’ll burn it down and plant right into it,” Hanley noted.
Every field and every farm is different. Hanley recommends consulting with a seed dealer and other experts who have been working with farmers. He said he uses cereal rye based on those recommendations for his farm.
He added he is enrolled in the Conservation Stewardship Program through the Natural Resources Conservation Service for his cover crop program.
In addition, he noted that the Illinois Department of Agriculture is in the second year of its Cover Crop Premium Discount Program for those wanting to begin the practice. The program is applicable for acreage in Illinois planted to cover crops in the fall of 2020 that will be planted to an insurable crop in 2021.
Eligible applicants receive a $5 per acre premium discount on the following year’s crop insurance invoice for every acre of cover crop enrolled and verified in the program.
Last year’s inaugural season of the IDOA program resulted in an additional 50,000 acres of cover crops planted in the state with 70% of applicants identified as planting cover crops for the first time.
Watershed Efforts
Conservation practices always have been integrated in Hanley’s farming operation and he has been involved with the Livingston County Soil and Water Conservation District for about 37 years, currently serving as vice chairman.
He also was actively involved in the six-year Indian Creek Watershed Project, a locally-led conservation initiative that included on-farm and off-farm stakeholders in the watershed. The project, which concluded in 2016, was a source of a wide range of insights into conservation practices and documented impacts.
That effort has now shifted into the Vermilion Headwaters Water Partnership, a program Hanley is currently involved with through SWCD and on his farm.
The Vermilion Headwaters Watershed is a 254,322-acre watershed encompassing parts of Livingston, Ford, Iroquois and McLean counties in Illinois working to reduce the loss of nitrogen from farmland in the watershed through reduced tillage, cover crops, nutrient management and tile water treatment.
“Conservation has been a big part of my farming operation. I’ve been no-tilling for a lot of years and with the cover crop we’re able to help enrich the soil. It’s just good for the soil,” Hanley said.
Hanley was asked what message he has for those who have tried cover crops for a year or two, maybe became frustrated and stopped using them.
“You just have to keep experimenting. Just keep trying. I’ve been doing this for five or six years. I’ve found that it works, you just have to be patient,” he explained.