Conservation authorities make push for farmers to plant cover crops
As farmers get their crops out of the ground before winter, conservation authorities are hoping for a bigger uptake on conservation farming practices such as planting top cover.
One farmer already doing this is Henry Denotter, a grain and oilseed growers and the operator of Denotter Farms Kingsville, Ont.
Every fall, Denotter rotates his crops from corn to soybean and then to buckwheat.
This year, he has corn in the ground and the harvest will begin any day. But after the seed corn is pulled, Denotter e leaves behind the stumps of the stalks in rows separated by 20 inches.
“It isn't pretty. It's not,” says Denotter, recognizing the fields can look a little messy and unkempt, but it’s for good reason.
Next spring, Denotter won’t pull up the mostly dead top cover and he won’t till the earth.
“In our case, most time we just plant right through all that. The planter is set up to accommodate that and push stuff out of the way of the plant in-between.”
The cornstalk leftovers and residue perform a number of functions, says Denotter, which are beneficial for both future crops and the environment.
Other popular cover crops include alfalfa, rye, clovers, buckwheat and winter wheat.
“The traditional cover crop is not something that you actually harvest it's a placeholder,” says Kevin Money, director of conservation services at the Essex Region Conservation Authority (ERCA).
That means the winter crops are not typically food for consumption, it’s more so food for the soil.
When these items are planted after the fall harvest, they effectively help hold soil in place, strengthen root structures and reduce sheet erosion.
According to Money, cover crops also help lock nutrients like nitrogen and carbon in the soil and keep it from running off into local creeks and rivers.
“Ultimately all that water and all those nutrients make their way into Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair in our region,” he says. “And every year, unfortunately, we have what's called algae blooms in our lakes.”
Like any investment, planting cover crops comes with a level of financial risk for farmers. But some conservation authorities, such as ERCA, offer incentives like cost-sharing programs to purchase seeds so farmers can try out the technique.
“Let's even just talk to people and say look, just try it. Run a test run a field to compare it to see what's going on,” says Denotter, who has been practicing conservation techniques for two decades.
“Long term, we believe that there's absolutely a benefit to improve soil structure and improve soil organics if you put in cover crops and manage your farm field appropriately,” says Money.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
Saskatchewan isn't remitting the carbon tax on home heating. Why isn't my province following suit?
After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government would still send Canada Carbon Rebate cheques to Saskatchewan residents, despite Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's decision to stop collecting the carbon tax on natural gas or home heating, questions were raised about whether other provinces would follow suit. CTV News reached out across the country and here's what we found out.
Montreal actress calls Weinstein ruling 'discouraging' but not surprising
A Montreal actress, who has previously detailed incidents she had with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, says a New York Court of Appeals decision overturning his 2020 rape conviction is 'discouraging' but not surprising.
RCMP officers had no legal authority to enter man's home, make arrest: B.C. court
A B.C. man has been found not guilty of assaulting two RCMP officers – with the court finding he was resisting an "unlawful entry and arrest" in his home before he was tasered, taken down and hauled away in handcuffs.
Body of Quebec man who died in Cuba found in Russia, family confirms
A Montreal-area family confirmed to CTV News that the body of their loved one who died while on vacation in Cuba is being repatriated to Canada after it was mistakenly sent to Russia.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.