Maximizing the Benefits of Cover Cropping

Dr. Steven Mirsky

Maximizing the Benefits of Cover Cropping - by Candace Pritchard (and PLSC689A)

Planting of cover crops on farmed land between cash crop plantings can decrease soil erosion, while increasing nutrient scavenging. However, there are currently issues with the utilization of these cover crops. Keys to overcoming these issues include increasing the adoption of this practice, capitalizing on the potential, and optimizing the delivery or planting of cover crops. Dr. Mirsky’s research at the USDA- Agricultural Research Service aims at addressing these issues, and his seminar focused on the latter two. The findings indicate some key ways farmers can capitalize on this practice are to plant early and harvest after flowering (depending on the species) and to select the right combination of cover crops to fit their needs. To maximize delivery it is important to balance the cost and efficacy of planting methods, such as broadcast vs drill seeding. Recent moves to robotics to efficiently interseed via drill seeding show promise in increasing efficiency of planting.