Cover Crops: Pest Management

Smother winter weeds and break pest cycles by planting the right cover crop species.

Cover Cropping for Pollinators and Beneficial Insects

This 16-page bulletin will help you use cover crops to encourage populations of pollinators and beneficial insects on your farm while you address your other resource concerns. Download File (840.79 kB) | Online Text Version

Buckwheat Cover Crop Handbook

Buckwheat has been used to suppress weeds on Northeastern farms for 400 years. This handbook outlines how to use buckwheat as an economical weed-control tool, with recommendations based on extensive grower surveys, original research and on-farm trials.Download File (458.29 kB)  

Influence of Cover Crops on Insect Pests and Predators in Conservation Tillage Cotton

Results of a two-year research project to determine the impact of several cover crops on pest and predator insects in conservation tillage cotton.

A Sunn Hemp Cover Crop for Soil Health and Nematode Management

These University of Hawaii fact sheets and virtual field day explain how to use sunn hemp as a cover crop to control weeds, nematodes and other pests, add soil nutrients, prevent erosion, and contribute to a more robust and complex community of beneficial nematodes.

Beyond Black Plastic

This publication explores sustainable, organic mulches such as cover crops and no-till and reduced tillage systems as alternatives to black plastic mulch for weed control. The booklet includes a discussion of the impact of organic mulches on soil quality and fertility, weed control, yields and waste production, and profitability for small to mid-size vegetable operations. Download File (1.51 MB)

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

• Trials and Informing Regional Farmers About Organic Weed Control Methods (2011, New Mexico)
• Integrating Ground Cover Crops and New Herbicide Strategies (Conventional and Organic) for Tree Growth and Soil Health, Part 1 and Part 2 (2011, New York)
• Suppression of Soybean Diseases Through the Use of Cover Crops (2010, Illinois)
• Rolled Down Cover Crop Mulch for Pumpkin and Soybean Production (2009, Pennsylvania)
• Selecting a Sunn Hemp Cover Crop Genotype for Weed Suppression and Seed Production (2008, Florida)
• Selecting Cover Crops for Diverse Functions: An Integrated Soil Management Approach for Organic Strawberry Production in North Carolina (2007, North Carolina)
• Using Cover Crops and Crop Diversity to Optimize Ecologically Based Weed Management (2005, Pennsylvania)
• Mustard Green Manures for Potato Production (2003, Washington)

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.