A resurging interest in cover crops raises a new set of practical questions from farmers looking to improve soil health.
Cover crops can boost soil health. But there is much to learn about which species work best in Oklahoma and Texas.
Jim Johnson, soils and crops consultant, reviews BMR Dwarf Sorghum.
Jim Johnson, soils and crops consultant, reviews Hydan PPS Sudan.
Jim Johnson, soils and crops consultant, reviews Winfred Hybrid Turnip.
Jim Johnson, soils and crops consultant, reviews Indi Gold Indian Mustard.
Jim Johnson, soils and crops consultant, reviews Iron and Clay Cowpea.
Jim Johnson, soils and crops consultant, reviews Sweet Forever BMR Sorghum Sudan.
Jim Johnson, soils and crops consultant, reviews Sweet Six Dry Stalk BMR Sorghum Sudan.
Jim Johnson, soils and crops consultant, reviews Vivant and Hunter Hybrid Turnips.
Jim Johnson, soils and crops consultant, reviews Sunn Hemp.
Jim Johnson, soils and crops consultant, reviews Selby Flax.
Jim Johnson, soils and crops consultant, reviews Mung Bean.
Jim Johnson, soils and crops consultant, reviews Mancan Buckwheat.
Jim Johnson, soils and crops consultant, reviews Black Cowpeas.
Jim Johnson, soils and crops consultant, reviews Kinman Guar.
Jim Johnson, soils and crops consultant, reviews Emerald Okra.
Noble Research Institute soils and crops consultant Jim Johnson received the 2019 Oklahoma Association of Conservation District (OACD) President’s Award. He was honored at the association’s annual meeting in February.
Cover crops can provide soil health benefits, but it is important to have a plan. Before growing cover crops, producers should consider goals, herbicide and pesticide use, and available resources.
Every day, farmers and ranchers load up their trucks and trailers with agricultural products and haul those materials to and from their farms and ranches. Every time they do, they could be subject to the tangled web of transportation regulations implemented and enforced by an alphabet soup of state and federal agencies.
Getting the correct amount of seed planted with a grain drill requires calibrating the drill before planting begins. Jim Johnson, Noble Research Institute soils and crops consultant, demonstrates step-by-step how to perform this calibration and the calculations required to determine accurate seed output.
Jim Johnson, soils and crops consultant, reviews one of his favorite grass cover crops: Browntop Millet.
Jim Johnson, soils and crops consultant, reviews Golden German Foxtail Millet.
Jim Johnson, soils and crops consultant, reviews a cover crops mixture from a combination of all 42 cover crop varieties.
Jim Johnson, soils and crops consultant, reviews Tifleaf III Pearl Millet.
Jim Johnson, soils and crops consultant, reviews White Wonder Foxtail Millet.
Jim Johnson, soils and crops consultant, reviews Kodiak Brown Mustard.
Jim Johnson, soils and crops consultant, reviews Red Ripper Cow Peas.
Jim Johnson, soils and crops consultant, reviews Super Super Sterile.
Jim Johnson, soils and crops consultant, reviews Bayou Rape Kale Hybrid.
Jim Johnson, soils and crops consultant, reviews Egyptian Wheat.
Jim Johnson, soils and crops consultant, reviews Hutcheson Soybean.
Jim Johnson, soils and crops consultant, reviews 400 BMR Forage Sorghum.
Jim Johnson, soils and crops consultant, outlines the important information to notice when considering a pesticide, including who can use the pesticide, its active ingredients, where and when it can be sprayed, what it controls or suppresses, and how to use it.
Ranchers have opportunities to increase production of different annual forages on a portion of the acres they normally plant to wheat.
Crickets, ants, beetles, spiders and scorpions can be problematic for rural homes. Be an amateur exterminator with these DIY pest control tips.
In an effort to assist producers in Oklahoma and Texas, the Noble Research Institute conducted trials to determine hay yields of commercially available varieties of pearl millet and sorghum species, including forage sorghum, sudan and sorghum sudan hybrids. This report summarizes results from the 2001-2004 and 2008 trials. Trials were not conducted between 2005-2007.
Noble Research Institute staff have experimented with growing cover crops in various environments in the Ardmore, Oklahoma, area over the past several years. Here are some observations.
For most agricultural enterprises, success and long-term viability ultimately hinges on soil health.
Jim Johnson, soils and crops consultant, answers a rancher's questions about which cover crop species work best in Oklahoma and Texas.
Cover crops are a tool in agricultural production just as tractors and herbicides are tools. When used correctly and with purpose, they can be effective. When used incorrectly or with unrealistic expectations, they can be harmful.
Cover crops can provide soil health benefits, but it is important to have a plan. Before growing cover crops, producers should consider goals, herbicide and pesticide use, and available resources.