On Thursday, March 28, the St. Clair Region Conservation Authority (SCRCA) hosted a Cover Crop workshop at the Coldstream Community Centre to promote soil conservation and erosion reduction. Twenty-five area farmers and residents from Lambton and Middlesex learned about managing cover crops, fitting them into a field crop rotation, impacts on the bottom line, and the soil health impacts of cover crops.
Anne Verhallen, Soil Management Specialist, and Christine Brown, Nutrient Management Specialist, from Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food (OMAF) presented and provided examples from on-going demonstrations and research trials.
“Cover crops are a hot topic in agriculture today,” says Jessica Van Zwol, Healthy Watershed Specialist from the SCRCA. “The purpose of the workshop was to get growers talking about soil conservation, water quality impacts, and nutrient management.”
The amount of precipitation in the winter is greater than in the summer. By planting cover crops in the fall, growers can keep the soil and nutrients on the land and prevent both from entering the creeks, because those crops are keeping the soil in place and reducing runoff.
“Agriculture is a source of phosphorus for Lake Erie. Overall, total phosphorus levels have declined in Lake Erie since the 1960s, improving water quality in the lake. Recently, however, there has been an increase in dissolved phosphorus, which contributes to total phosphorus. High levels of dissolved phosphorus correlate with toxic blue-green algae blooms” Van Zwol explained.
Farmers want to apply enough phosphorus for a good yield without having nutrients run off into the drains and creeks. The SCRCA with funding from OMAF is encouraging growers to test their soils to determine nutrient levels. Soil test results help optimize crop yield, influence fertilizer decisions, and identify problem areas in the soil, all of which can help the farmer’s income and the watershed. The SCRCA is offering agricultural growers two free soil tests analyzed by an accredited lab as an incentive for growers to test their fields. To get the free soil tests, contact Jessica Van Zwol (519-245-3710, [email protected]) for a lab submission form and soil kit.
This workshop coincides with two initiatives of the SCRCA to encourage adoption of best management practices in all areas of our watershed. The Healthy Lake Huron – Lambton Shores Initiative, supported by Ontario Ministry of Environment and Environment Canada, and the Healthy Sydenham Headwaters Initiative, offered with assistance from Middlesex Stewardship Council, offer grants for the following stewardship projects: fragile land retirement, windbreaks, wetlands, tallgrass prairie, and riparian buffers. Please contact Jessica Van Zwol for more information.
Photo Notes:
Oat cover crop after wheat harvest – this provides good ground cover over winter or the oats could be harvested in the fall for feed and the stubble used to prevent soil erosion.
