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The Case for Cover Crops Agriculture Conference 2008 John J. McHugh, Jr. Crop Care Hawaii, LLC Crotolaria Seed Specialis

In Hawai`i, the practice of bare ground fallow is used to manage weeds and pests between cash crop cycles. This fallow poses soil erosion risk, non-point source pollution and loss of valuable top soil. Barriers to implementation of the practice include: Expense and availability of seed,

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The Case for Cover Crops Agriculture Conference 2008 John J. McHugh, Jr. Crop Care Hawaii, LLC Crotolaria Seed Specialis

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  1. In Hawai`i, the practice of bare ground fallow is used to manage weeds and pests between cash crop cycles. This fallow poses soil erosion risk, non-point source pollution and loss of valuable top soil. • Barriers to implementation of the practice include: Expense and availability of seed, Fear of making costly mistakes, Costs of the cover crop practice not quantified. • Benefits of cover cropping are: Improve soil quality, Kill root parasitic soil borne nematodes, Increase soil nitrogen, Break up field hard pans, Control and suppress weed pests, Serve as refuge for Natural Enemies, Cost competitive with bare ground fallow. • Cover crops which do well in Hawaii are: Sunn hemp, buckwheat, and oats. The Case for Cover CropsAgriculture Conference 2008John J. McHugh, Jr.Crop Care Hawaii, LLCCrotolaria Seed Specialists, LLCHana Hou Seed Harvesting, LLC Sunn hemp seed production field in Waialua, O`ahu References Managing Cover Crops Profitably, 3rd Edition. www.sare.org/publications/covercrops/covercorps.pdf Book is available at: Sustainable Agriculture Network 10300 Baltimore Ave. Beltsville, MD 20705-2350 (301) 504-5236, (301) 504-5207 (fax) sanpubs@sare.org order on line at:www.sare.org CTAHR Sustainable Agriculture Website: www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/sustainag/ For information on cover crops - www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/sustainag/Database.asp National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service, Overview of Cover Crops and Green Manures: attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/covercrop.html Nitrogen fixing nodules on Sunn hemp in Pepeekeo

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