The Iowa Learning Farms (ILF) conservation webinar taking place June 18, at noon CDT will feature Grace Emperatriz Pacheco Jiron, former M.S. student and Vesh R. Thapa, postdoctoral research associate, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The speakers are involved with the Cover Crop Initiative, a project led by Andrea Basche, associate professor, is a multi-year collaboration between the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and the Nebraska Natural Resources Conservation Service. They conduct research focused on identifying regionally adapted cover crop species and varieties across Nebraska to support conservation goals and improve agricultural resilience.

In the webinar, “Evaluation of Diverse Cover Crops Across Nebraska: Findings from Spring-, Summer-, and Fall-Planted Cover Crops,” Pacheco Jiron and Thapa will highlight the findings from the Nebraska Statewide Cover Crop Variety Trials, which evaluated a wide range of spring-, summer-, and fall-planted cover crop species across multiple locations and years. They will draw on outcomes to illustrate how cover crop productivity varied by site and weather conditions, placing an emphasis on the importance of understanding this variability to setting realistic expectations. The team will also provide practical tips for managing biomass goals and selecting species aligned with site-specific conditions.

“Cover crop productivity is highly influenced by year-to-year weather variability and understanding this is key to setting realistic expectations and making informed decisions,” said Thapa. “We hope that participants in this webinar will leave with a clearer sense of how environmental variability and careful species selection impact cover crop success, and how localized data can support better outcomes.”

Participants are encouraged to ask questions of the presenters. People from all backgrounds and areas of interest are encouraged to join.