Winter cover crops deliver liquid carbon, extend roots and create deeper aggregates

Understanding Ag (UA) is an agricultural consulting organization founded by Gabe Brown, author of "Dirt to Soil" and a leading expert on regenerative agriculture. One of UA's consultants, Chuck Schembre, visited Hokkaido. Keith Barnes of Green Cover, the importer of Maoi cover seeds, posted on LinkedIn in July 2024 that cover crop seeds would be shipped to Japan soon. Chuck, who was planning to visit Japan, saw the post and connected with Raymond.

On the morning of November 16th, Chuck picked up a shovel and began digging the soil in the autumn wheat field at Menno Village Naganuma.

He likened the roots of wheat to a winter cover crop, and explained the importance of continuing to send liquid carbon produced by photosynthesis to the roots from autumn to winter, deepening the soil aggregate structure. When the temperature drops, it may seem like the aboveground growth has stopped, but as long as liquid carbon is being sent to the roots, the mycorrhizal network will continue to expand.

When the above-ground part of autumn-sown wheat is 7-8 cm long, the underground root system is more than twice as long, and by mixing in cover crops that do not die in the winter, the roots will grow even deeper in the spring and form aggregates. You want to grow the root system 20-30 cm deep, or even deeper if possible.

In spring, unless a no-tillage seeding machine is used, the surface of the soil is disturbed by at least 5 cm. If the soil aggregate structure ends at 5 cm in the fall, the aggregate structure that was so carefully created will be destroyed with one rotary. Therefore, he taught us that it is important to create aggregates as deep as possible during the winter to spring.

Winter Cover Crop. It's so powerful. Drive roots deeper.