Description
As cover crops grow in popularity, there’s a greater need to inform farmers — and consumers — about their benefits. One memorable way of introducing a new plant is to show people a lifelike model of it. So this oilseed radish model can help a worthy cause: helping farmers see which cover crops could benefit their farms, and helping consumers learn about environmentally-friendly farming practices.
Oilseed radishes are a fairly new cover crop, but they come with a host of benefits for soil health. And it’s not just a good cover crop; it also makes a good forage for livestock.
Oilseed radish is known as a good nitrogen scavenger, meaning it absorbs excess nitrogen from the soil. Unlike crimson clover, oilseed radishes don’t add nitrogen back to the soil. But they do prevent it from leaching out of the soil and washing away, which can cut down on nitrogen pollution in waterways.
Our model features a cutaway view to highlight the taproot of the oilseed radish. That taproot is one of the plant’s most useful features. Because it grows deep, it’s able to scavenge nitrogen from deeper in the soil than other crops. And because the taproot also grows pretty thick, it helps break up compacted soil. This improves soil health all on its own, and it also reduces the need for tilling. So it can help prevent erosion too!
The Radish Replica
We designed our radish model to be as accurate as possible. Our craftsmen carefully replicated the leaves and engineered a cutaway view of the taproot. And just to avoid any confusion, we provided an engraved label identifying the plant. It also summarizes how oilseed radishes can benefit a farm.
Want to educate people about another cover crop too? We have several other options in our collection of cover crop models.
