Cover Crops: Ecosystem Services from Cover Crops, Cover Crops at Work: Covering the Soil to Prevent Erosion, Cover Crops at Work: Increasing Infiltration, Cover Crops at Work: Keeping Nutrients Out of Waterways, Cover Crops at Work: Increasing Soil Organic Matter, Cover Crops Improve Soil Conditions and Prevent Pollution, Impact of Cover Crops on Natural Enemies and Pests, Cover Crop Effects on Deer and Other Mammalian Wildlife, Cover Crop Effects on Songbirds and Game Birds, Cover Crops: Soil and Fertility Management, Library of Images, Illustrations and Presentations, Cover Cropping for Pollinators and Beneficial Insects, Agroecological Strategies to Enhance On-Farm Insect Pollinators. Cover Crop Planting Times Cover crops are often used to help ‘repair’ soil that has been depleted or eroded. The Why Of Planting Cover Crops A fall cover crop is a must for a great garden, It not only replenishes minerals and stops erosion, but also loosens the soil and eliminates next year’s weeds. With careful attention to cultivar choice, placement and timing, cover crops can reduce infestations by insects, diseases, nematodes and weeds. A cover crop is a crop you grow for the soil, instead of for your plate. Their roots can even help unlock some nutrients in the soil, converting them to more available forms. Learn more in the SARE bulletin Cover Crop Economics: Opportunities to Improve Your Bottom Line in Row Crops. Eight states more than doubled their cover crop acreage from 2012 to 2017. For in-depth resources, visit the website listed in each section. | Photo by Jason Lilley The benefits of cover crops. These crops add fertility to the soil without chemical fertilizers via biological nitrogen fixation. A cover crop can offer a natural way to reduce soil compaction, manage soil moisture, reduce overall energy use, and provide additional forage for livestock. Examples of plants that have proven to be effective cover crops include: “Cover Crops - Keeping Soil In Place While Providing Other Benefits.” U.S. Department of Agriculture. Cover crop cocktails, a mixture of several species and plant types, provide different rooting patterns and varying plant architecture to add diversity to the system. Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education. Whether you are just starting with cover crops, or have some experience growing them, the SARE Cover Crop Topic Room has a wealth of information you can use. Cover crops are typically grasses or legumes but may be comprised of other green plants. Most often, a cover crop is grown in the off-season before the field is needed for growing the cash crop. In essence, a cover crop readies the land for an incoming cash crop. A bumblebee on hairy vetch, which is often used as a cover crop. Other mulches have been shown to suppress nematodes. Reduce the amount of water that drains off a field, protecting waterways and downstream ecosystems from erosion. Added carbon and root channels, in addition to increased soil pore space, help improve soil water-holding capacity—in any tillage system. Pest-fighting cover crop systems help minimize pesticide use, and as a result cut costs and reduce your chemical exposure. In Michigan, for example, some potato growers report that two years of radish improves potato production and lowers pest control costs. Cover crops are plants grown outdoors for the purpose of enhancing the quality of the soil. Cover crops play an important role in improving the health of an agroecosystem, which is a human-managed ecosystem used to produce food, fiber, or animal feed. To select cover crops for your operation, first identify your primary objectives for adding them to your system. 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