While corn has been grown for over 9,000 years, equipment, processes and even the geography that it is grown in has changed. One of the evolving markets when it comes to growing this nutritious grass plant is in conjunction with cover crops.
Cover crops and corn is not a new idea — Indigenous peoples grew it as the ‘three sisters’ with a broadleaf and a legume before Europeans arrived in North America — however, the idea has been revived in the last decade as growers have begun to experiment with different seed mixes and agricultural techniques.
Kevin Elmy of Cover Crops Canada says, “we have to remember in plant ecology, in nature, legumes and grasses grow together,” in this interview with RealAgriculture’s Amber Bell at the Western Canada Conference on Soil Health and Grazing.
Having a legume, such as clover, covering the soil throughout the growing season can help to retain moisture, increase availability of macronutrients, such as calcium, and encourage biology in the soil that helps to cycle nutrients.
Elmy stresses the importance of a grower knowing what the end goal is when integrating cover crops. “What are we trying to do?… if it is looking at, you know, reducing the amount of nitrogen we need to add, or… avoiding this nitrogen deficiency late in the season… you lean on the legumes and maybe crank up those.”
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