TOFG-all

Selecting & Using Cover Crops

Unit 1.6 | Part 1 – 283

Perennial Cover Crops in Orchards and Vineyards.

http://www.yolorcd.org/documents/perennial_cover_

crops.pdf

Agricultural Water Quality Best Management

Practices handout outlines management and

costs of cover crops in orchards and vineyards.

Plant Cover Crops

plantcovercrops.com/

Dave Robison, a cover crop and forage

agronomist in the Midwest, keeps a blog about

cover crops. While most posts are pertinent to

his home region, some have excellent crossover

for growers throughout the country.

Soil Quality for Environmental Health: Cover Crops

soilquality.org/practices/cover_crops.html

Developed by the Agricultural Research Service

scientists, this introduction to cover crops

addresses the question of why to use cover

crops, the effects on soil health, and practical

“how-to” information on selecting, planting,

fertilizing, and terminating cover crops.

UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education
Program (UC SAREP) Cover Crop Data Base

http://www.sarep.ucdavis.edu/database/covercrops

Contains a thorough cover crop database, with

quantitative information on specific cover crops,

and two slide shows covering the use of cover

crops for annual and perennial farming systems.

The database includes valuable cover crop

information such as pounds of nitrogen fixed,

seeding rates, suggested timing for seeding, etc.

Focuses on California and other similar climatic

situations. Includes photographs.

Resources

VIDEOS

Brennan, Eric. Agriculture Research in High Value

Organic Systems.

http://www.youtube.com/user/EricBrennanOrganic

Eric Brennan, a USDA Cooperative Extension

Specialist in Monterey County, California, has

created a series of informative and entertaining

videos on cover crops and the issue of organic

versus conventional comparisons.