It is being proven that planting primary crops directly into the cover crop instead of terminating the cover crop weeks beforehand can add to the overall health of your soil. This new strategy is known as “planting green”.

Planting green has several benefits, including increasing organic matter in the soil and increasing the time that the soil is protected from erosion. By harvesting more solar energy, the amount of carbon (organic matter) in the soil will increase. Planting into green cover crops also gives your soil a better chance to fix more nitrogen, and for extra soil moisture to be soaked up by the roots of the cover crop. This means that during wet springs, the soil dries up quicker and cash crops can more quickly be planted.

Overall, planting into green cover crops establishes the primary crop into moist, healthy soil. It also gives farmers a chance to better manage the cover crop residue. Planting equipment can move through a succulent living cover crop more easily than it can in decaying brittle residue.

To learn more about planting into green cover crops, contact ProHarvest using the form below!