Cover crops provide numerous benefits for the soil, including reduced erosion, improved ability to hold water and greater organic matter. Some soybean farmers still aren’t sure whether they’ll return the investment, but there are a growing number of farmers who agree they pay for themselves in a variety of ways. Here are eight benefits cited by a recent panel discussion.
- Cover crops planted in late summer can provide grazing ground for animals during the winter.
- They keep nutrients from escaping into the water.
- Cover crops help fields handle excess moisture from extreme rainfall events.
- Some cover crops can help to pull nutrients from deep in the soil.
- They enhance crop rotation and promote a diversity of insects which are beneficial to production.
- They are more sustainable and help farmers meet end users’ demands for more sustainable crops.
- Cover crops help with weed control.
- And, cover crops can help crops in adverse weather situations, such as in times of drought.
Are cover crops right for you? Learn more in THIS ARTICLE from USB.
