AMES, Iowa – The current state of research and practical applications of cover crops and perennial groundcover will be the focus of the Iowa Learning Farms conservation webinar taking place Sept. 28 at noon.
The featured speaker is D. Raj Raman, Morrill Professor with Iowa State University’s Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering and project director at Regenerating America’s Working Landscapes to Enhance Natural Resources and Public Goods through Perennial Groundcover, also referred to as RegenPGC.
In the webinar, “Developing Large-Scale, Reliable Perennial Groundcover Systems - Challenges and Approaches from RegenPGC,” Raman will highlight the current state of research, practical applications of cover crops and how perennial groundcover could become a lower barrier-to-entry approach to cover cropping, which could accelerate adoption. He will also discuss technical and non-technical challenges to realizing broad utilization of PGC. In addition, Raman will provide insights into the multiple critical ecosystem services cover crops contribute to the overall health and productivity of cropland.
Raman’s research includes technoeconomic modeling of bioprocessing systems, and he has been collaborating since 2017 with Ken Moore, the Charles F. Curtiss Distinguished Professor in Agriculture and Life Sciences at Iowa State, on a transdisciplinary project focused on perennial groundcover.
Iowa Learning Farms is an Iowa State University Extension and Outreach conservation and water quality education program.
“Cover crops have been a talking point in agriculture for years, but adoption rates are low, and our research is pointing to different ways to take advantage of the known conservation benefits through practices that may have stronger appeal for farmers,” said Raman. “We understand and appreciate both the promise and challenges of making PGC adoption a viable approach throughout the upper Midwest, and are eager to draw attention to the potential of perennial groundcover farming systems that could become widely deployed as a conservation practice.”
Participants are encouraged to ask questions of the presenters. People from all backgrounds and areas of interest are encouraged to join.
Webinar access instructions
To participate in the live webinar, shortly before noon CDT Sept. 28:
- Click this URL, or type this web address into your internet browser: https://iastate.zoom.us/j/364284172.
- Or, go to https://iastate.zoom.us/join and enter meeting ID 364 284 172.
- Or, join from a dial-in phone line by dialing +1 312 626 6799 or +1 646 876 9923; meeting ID 364 284 172.
The webinar will also be recorded and archived on the ILF website, so that it can be watched at any time.
A Certified Crop Adviser board-approved continuing education unit has been applied for. Those who participate in the live webinar are eligible. Information about how to apply to receive the CEU will be provided at the end of the live webinar.
Upcoming webinars in the series
- Oct. 5: Vinayak Shedekar, Ohio State University and Will Osterholz, USDA-ARS.
- Oct. 12: Laura Alt, Iowa State University.
- Oct. 19: Prashant Jha, Iowa State University.
- Oct. 26: Matt Nowatzke, Iowa State University.
Shareable photo: Perennial groundcover between corn rows.
