RESEARCHERS STUDY GROUND COVER TO REDUCE IMPACT OF BIOMASS HARVEST


Iowa State University researchers are looking at ways to use ground cover, a living grass planted between the rows of corn, in production farming.

The idea of planting a ground cover grass between the rows of corn that remains year-round holds promise on many fronts including erosion control, weed suppression and carbon replacement.

While this research has just begun, Iowa State University agronomy professor Ken Moore says that this idea is not new.

"Nature does this all the time," he said. "You see prairies that have these complementary mixtures of multiple species that grow and share space. In a way we are sort of simulating the grassland systems that were originally here, but in very simple way."

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