Using cover crops as a nitrogen catch crop is not a new idea. Lowell Gentry, research agronomist and retired University of Illinois principal research specialist, shares insights from 1884 that hold true today, including the benefits of using cereal rye to tie up nitrate released from soil N mineralization during the non-crop growing season. This is the third video in a five-part series that shares research findings on how to reduce nitrate loss from agricultural fields in Illinois. 

This research was funded in part by the Illinois Nutrient Research and Education Council and conducted in collaboration with the Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association. This video was produced with support from the Illinois Soybean Association checkoff program and the Illinois Nutrient Research and Education Council.