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Cover Crop Topic Room: Economics

Organic Fertilizer and Cover Crop Calculator

Type: Western SARE Grantee-Produced Info Product

This free online tool compares the nutrient value and cost of cover crops, organic and synthetic fertilizers...

Pages from 947932Cover Crop Effect on Following Cash Crop Yield

Winter Rye Cover Crop Effect on Cash Crop Yields

Type: North Central SARE Grantee-Produced Info Product

Cover Crops are an important addition to any farming system to improve soil quality and decrease soil...

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Also, visit SARE's database for reports on these research projects:

Optimization of Corn Production Following Legume Green Manures (2008, Wisconsin)
Evaluating Winter Crops for the Environment and for Profit [on dairy farms] (2005, Ohio)
Managing Cover Crop and Conservation Tillage Systems to Enhance Vegetable Crop Yields, Economic Returns and Environmental Quality (2004, Oregon)

Dig deeper into cover crops research: SARE has funded hundreds of research and education projects related to cover crops since 1988. This topic room features only a glimpse into SARE's entire portfolio of cover crop research. To discover more, visit SARE's database of projects and conduct full text or advanced keyword searches.

Farmers Say Cover Crops Work

During the fall of 2012, corn yields increased 9.6% when planted after a cover crop, compared to side-by-side fields with no cover crops, and soybean yields improved 11.6% following cover crops. Because of this, and witnessed improvements to soil and water quality, farmers across the Midwest are rapidly expanding their cover crop acreage.

Learn more about farmers' experiences with cover crops in the 2012-2013 Cover Crop Survey. Read a summary or download the full report.

Other Cover Crops Resources

The following organizations offer excellent cover crops resources:

The Midwest Cover Crops Council has extensive information on cover crops for Midwestern farmers, including species descriptions, selector tools, innovator profiles, Extension material and more.

The eOrganic Community of Practice maintains a collection of articles, videos and webinars on organic research, production and certification. This collection includes a section on cover cropping in organic farming systems.

"Unlock the Secrets in the Soil" is a national initiative by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service to promote soil's importance as a natural resource and its vital role in agriculture.