A free online tool that assists farmers in assessing cover crop species according to factors including county, production objectives, and drainage conditions has been updated to take into account recent findings.
13 new cover crop species, more current seeding dates that are accurate to county-level climate data, and a review of species ratings were added to Iowa’s data for the Midwest Cover Crops Council’s cover crop decision tool, which was last updated in 2019.
According to Elizabeth Ripley, Iowa Learning Farms’ conservation and cover crop outreach specialist, the application provides farmers with a comprehensive sheet on potential obstacles, sowing, and termination criteria in addition to suggesting cover crop kinds.
“There’s a lot of information out there, and this is a great way to compare species directly, based on producer goals,” Ripley said.
According to Ripley, farmers can use the tool to learn about various species and initiate discussions about cost-sharing programs with their local Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) office, even though it does not analyse costs.
Programs such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture are frequently utilised by farmers to partially offset the expenses associated with incorporating a cover crop into their operations. A program that lowers crop insurance costs on acres with cover crops is another way the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship encourages the practice.
Cover Cropping
In order to maintain roots and nutrients in the soil, cover crops are sown in between cash crops as a sustainable agricultural technique. The crops can give nutrients like nitrogen, break up the soil, or even be used as grazing material for animals, depending on the variety.
Nearly 4 million acres of corn and soybean crops were planted with a cover crop in the 2023 crop year, more than twice as much as in 2017, according to a survey conducted by the Iowa Nutrient Research and Education Council.
In order to decrease soil loss from farms and nutrient runoff, cover crops and decreased tillage techniques are thought to be crucial.
The Midwest Cover Crop Council hosted the decision tool, which was updated with feedback from farmers, seed dealers, researchers, agency employees, and other groups.
To ensure that Iowa farmers had pertinent data to refer to when contemplating new seed combinations, Ripley said it was critical to broaden the list of cover crop species.
“Those were added in to be options, or at least to offer recommendations for people who might be learning about these various species from people who use them throughout the Midwest,” Ripley explained.
More details on the update will be provided at Iowa Learning Farms, and in late April, a webinar will be held by Iowa State University and the state NRCS office, according to Ripley.
