COVER CROPS

I'm finding a lot of useful material about cover crops on the web.  I have always considered myself as an educated person where it comes to soils, and farming practices, but I find the subject of soil biology is way above me.  I am struggling with the terms, let alone understanding the interactions that go on in the soil profile and how this can be manipulated to replace our dependance on fossil fuel products, like fertilizer and pesticides.  With my lack of knowledge, I've concluded however, that cover crops, like direct seed, will work in ours, or any, environment -- the question is, how do we make it work.  Below I'm listing some points I found relevant and am also providing links to some info and videos that I found interesting.  I will add to these as my interest leads me.
---Use cover crops to solve a problem whether it is a need for biomass, to scavenge nutrients, add nutrients, or grow and feed the micro-biological community living below the soil surface.
---A five species mix tends to be optimal for building biomass.  However, it is not just any five species. Choose them for your environment and seasons.
---Multi species mixes tend to be synergetic and not competitive under environmental stress.  There is video showing fields/plots of multi-specie plantings doing well while single cultivar fields/plots are dead under drought conditions.  (amazing!!)
---Plant for diversity.  If your normal crop rotation does not include a cool season grass, or broadleaf, and a warm season grass, or broadleaf, then consider including them in a cover crop.  There is a good selection of all these types for the Palouse.
---In most years it has been shown that cover crops use no more water than what is normally lost through evaporation from fallow fields.  In a way these findings back up an old study done at OS and WSU.     (click on the label- "moisture" for an earlier post of an old study titled Soil Moisture)
---Different species of cultivars have different carbon nitrogen (C:N) ratios.  Young cultivars have lower C:N ratios than mature cultivars.
---High C:N ratio plants deteriorate more slowly than plants with low C:N ratios.   It's easy to find a listing of plants and their C:N ratios.
---High C:N ratio plants tend to be good at armoring the soil surface, increasing OM, capturing and recycling nutrients, and moderating soil temperatures.
---Low C:N ratio plants tend to be good, at fixing nitrogen (if legume), more efficient users of nutrients, better at breaking down pesticides, and better at breaking down high C:N cultivars.
---Simple soil test: a-scrape soil surface, b-take a plug(clod) from top 2"of the soil profile, c-dry completely, d-place plug(clod) on a screen in water, e-watch to see if soil plug(clod) remains intact or not, f-if plug stays intact then the soil aggregation is good.  Good aggregation means good soil porosity that allows water to enter the soil profile.  Poor aggregation means the soil will seal and the water will flush off the surface.
---Anhydrous Ammonia kills the microbiological communities that it comes in contact with.  It has a significant negative impact toward building soil health. --J.Clappington
---Use a minnimum of five species and a minimum of 20# total seed per acre.  Above 40# total seed per acre appears to be a waste.  Fewer than five species and less than 20#/ac tend to encourage more weed pressure.--J.Stika
               I have found the following links helpful.  Many of these links have a lot of repetition but each presenter has one or more important points not mentioned by others that will enhance our knowledge base on Cover Crops.
Basic Soil Health Principles-R Archuleta-24:04-"A MUST WATCH"
Biology of Soil Health-K.Nichols-27:12
Soil Health Principals-J. Clapperton-28:22
Cover Crop Calculator
Resource for Cover Crops
Integrating cover crops with notill- B. Fischer
Integrating notill with cover crops-D.Beck
Selecting Cover Crops-D.Robison
Handbook on cover crops
NRCS-undercover farmers
NRCS-CoverCropMixes-J.Stika-great overview of soil health-1:04:10
ATTRA-Inovative NoTill Using Multi-species CC - 1:11:12
Cover Crop Moisture Management-29:50
Terminating cover crops-M.Plumer 32:21