UC Cooperative Extension videos detail approaches for cover crops

Cover crops, typically planted in early fall, deliver a host of agricultural and conservation benefits. But many growers have gone away from planting them due to technical challenges and extra costs associated with the practice.

In partnership with the Contra Costa County Resource Conservation District, two University of California Cooperative Extension advisors collaborated to support farmers' cover-cropping efforts and reduce costs.

Kamyar Aram, UCCE specialty crops advisor for Contra Costa and Alameda counties, and Rob Bennaton, UCCE Bay Area urban agriculture and food systems advisor, developed online project content for a free educational series on cover cropping, which entails growing noncash crops to add beneficial biomass to soils.

The series—comprising 10 webinars and five virtual farm-site visits—features UC farm advisors and other state experts on cover cropping. It aims to help growers overcome their hesitations about the practice, which researchers say provides benefits such as alleviating compaction, improving water retention and increasing organic matter and nutrients in the soil.

The recorded videos cover basic methods, financial assistance, tips for orchards and vineyards, and more.

The videos also cover topics that may be more relevant for smaller farmers, including seeding with spreaders or by broadcasting, using small equipment and machinery or no-till systems, and cover cropping in planter boxes, said Julio Contreras, UCCE community education specialist.

The project is funded by a Specialty Crops Block Grant from the California Department of Food and Agriculture. The series is available for view at http://ucanr.edu/CoverCropsCoCo.

Permission for use is granted, however, credit must be made to the California Farm Bureau Federation when reprinting this item.