Penn State Extension and NRCS will host a no-till/soil health field day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. July 25 at the Ed Thiele farm, 753 N. Pike Road, Cabot.

The event will feature green planted fields, no-till planter setup, cover crop mix selection strategies and herbicide considerations for terminating covers.

Planting green is a new method of planting crops where cover crops are terminated a few days after planting as opposed to the traditional several weeks prior. This additional cover crop growth allows for more spring biomass, nitrogen fixation and improved weed control.

These benefits along with a reduced herbicide program make this a viable option to reduce overall crop inputs and improve your farm’s soil health.

Thiele planted several fields green this year and the field day will take some time to evaluate and discuss the pros and cons to this type of planting. He will also speak on his planter setup and things he learned planting into both living and terminated cover crops.

This field day will be information-packed and open to anyone interested in trying cover crops or expanding their use, or for those interested in taking their cover crops and planting methods to the next level.

The cost to register is $5, which covers a pizza lunch. Beverages will be provided.

To register or for more information, contact our office at 724-482-4800, Ext. 3, or send email to andy.gaver@pa.usda.gov by Monday.

Andy Gaver is a conservationist with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in Butler County.