LAKELAND, TN. (RFD NEWS) — With harvest season underway, farmers are planning their cover crop strategies and keeping an eye on challenges that can affect establishment.
Fred Nichols, chief sales and marketing officer for Huma, joined us on Monday’s Market Day Report to discuss fall cover crop establishment and the use of humic products.
In his interview with RFD News, Nichols said a recent USDA national cover crop survey identified timing conflicts and stand development as some of the biggest challenges growers face.
“That’s very consistent with what we hear from our customers and growers as well,” Nichols said. “It really comes down to you’ve got to get those crops established.”
Nichols said timing becomes especially important in the fall, when a prolonged harvest can delay cover crop establishment.
“The further north you are, of course, the more premium you’re going to have on your time,” Nichols said.
Dry conditions can also affect germination, and fertility can become an issue because nutrients have already been removed by the harvested crop.
Using Humic Acid With Cover Crop Seed
Nichols said some Huma customers are blending humic acid with cover crop seed to help establish the crop. The products can be blended with cover crops including rye, radishes, oats and turnips.
“They are putting humic acid down and blending that down with their cover crop seed itself,” he explained, noting that farmers can apply humates using different methods, including seeders, drills and drones.
According to Nichols, humates can speed germination, kick-start soil microbes, retain water, and unlock nutrients needed for cover crop establishment.
“We see in a lot of studies and for ourselves, really early root development,” Nichols said. “You can really increase it by about 50% by adding humic acid in there.”
Integrating Humates in Your Cover Crop Strategy
Nichols recommended about 30 to 50 pounds of humic products per acre for this type of application. He said the cost can be around $10 per acre, depending on the application and product.
Nichols also described humates as ancient plant material that has decomposed over time.
“We’re talking ancient plant material, right, that basically decomposed, and it’s really nature’s original compost is what they do,” he said.
He said soil microbes feed on the material, helping accelerate soil activity and unlocking nutrients.
Beyond Row Crops: Cover Crops and Humates
Nichols said specialty crop producers can also use the combination of cover crops and humates.
He pointed to a Huma customer in New Mexico who grows pecans and uses cover crops with humates in the groves.
“He has basically turned a desert soil into the Garden of Eden, as I like to call it,” Nichols said.
Nichols said the example shows how cover cropping and humates can work together.
“These two cultural practices of cover cropping and the humates, nature’s actual compost, work together,” he said.
LEARN MORE: www.huma.us
