Beyond the Basics — Advanced Cover Crop Series

Beyond the Basics: Advanced Cover Crops incorporates field days, workshops, infographics, and a new webinar format designed to reinvigorate farmer interest in cover crops

In addition to the monthly webinars, Beyond the Basics includes new infographics and guides, quarterly field days across the state as well as virtual field days. The program grew out of regular conversations with farmers about cover crop adoption and is designed to address both anticipated benefits and challenges across a broad range of topics including ongoing soil health improvements, weed suppression, nutrient cycling and plant-disease interaction. Beyond the Basics also builds on lessons learned about farmer and landowner cover crop perceptions and motivations from the 2025 Reimagining Cover Crops study conducted by ILF, as well as conversation and interactions with farmers and landowners at field days and outreach events across Iowa.

Events:

Feb. 18, 2026 – A Conversation with Mark Licht, ISU - All Things Cover Crops

March 24, 2026 – Cover Crop and Plant Disease Workshop

March 25, 2026 – A Conversation with Alison Robertson, ISU - Plant Disease

April 15, 2026 – A Conversation with Wesley Everman, ISU - Weed Suppression

Infographics:

Minimizing Corn Seedling Disease