Risk vs. Reward of Cover Crops

Once you're finished harvesting, it’s not a bad idea to start thinking about what you’ll plant next. If those plans include cover crops, you might start seeing the benefits as early as next spring. However, cover crops are not foolproof. Be sure to consider all the facts about cover crops before making a decision.

• Organic matter: Cover crops can increase the amount of organic matter in your soil. It takes approximately 10 tons of decomposed plant residue and 1,000 pounds of nitrogen per acre to increase soil organic matter by 1 percent. Using cover crop mixtures can increase organic matter levels in a much more cost-effective way. Increased organic matter also increases the soil’s water-holding capacity, which will pay off during dry spells.
• Improved soil structure: Cover crops increase the soil’s porosity, improving internal drainage and decreasing soil compaction.
• Weed control: Planting a cover crop can help suppress weed growth by competing for nutrients and sunlight that would otherwise be free for the weeds’ taking.
• Soil erosion:  Cover crops help hold soil in place that may otherwise be susceptible to erosion, lessening nutrient runoff and keeping those valuable nutrients in place for the next crop to use.

A farmer does assume some additional cost and risks when using them, but most, if not all, can be avoided with well-timed management. It’s important to get crops planted in early fall to give them 60 to 90 days of growth before winter. This may require inter-seeding with the corn or soybean crop still in the ground. Cover crops left to grow too long in the spring may dry out the soil for the next crop, especially if using cereal rye or winter rye.  Management is the key.