Benefits and Challenges of Cover Crops in Agriculture

There are many economic and agronomic advantages of cover crops in agriculture. Still, farmers face numerous challenges with cover crops during crop production.

FREMONT, CA: There are several agronomic and financial advantages to using cover crops in agriculture, but there are also difficulties. In some agricultural areas, state-funded initiatives encourage cover crops to improve water quality by minimizing nutrient runoff and leaching when crops are not being grown.

Cover crops can assist with cutting back on water and wind erosion. Lessen soil compaction. Enhance soil aggregation, water holding capacity, and water infiltration. Improve the cycling of nutrients such as sulfur, nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and P. (S). Keep any leftover fertilizer in the area. Enhance soil with organic matter and nutrients by transpiration, dry wet soils. Create a food supply for wildlife and livestock. Give pollinators food to eat. Transform atmospheric nitrogen into forms that plants can use. Suppress nematodes and disrupt pest life cycles. Eliminate weeds and minimize

Cover crops have many challenges that pose potential difficulties for farmers.

A cover crop seeded into a standing crop may prevent or minimize the establishment of the stand when the soil surfaces are very wet, too dry, or shaded.

It can be challenging to get adequate seed-to-soil contact when planting cover crops with no-till because crop residue may be compressed into the seed slot, or the seeds may lie in crop residue rather than the seed slot.

Cash crops sown among cover crops may raise the following issues:

Cover crops can delay soil surface evaporation, and the remains of dead cover crops can retain more moisture in the ground. Closure issues with the seed slots and removing cover crops from the row after planting might be challenging. Residue from the cover crop wrapped around planter pieces, and cash crop development from cover crop wastes.

For species that do not die in the winter, "termination timing" can be difficult. How the cover crop will be terminated, worries about the nutrient release (N tie up), worries about the cover crop reducing soil moisture before sowing the cash crop, and problems with termination occurring during less than optimum weather conditions can all complicate things.

A previous herbicide application may restrict the species of cover crop that might be chosen. After the primary crop is harvested, the window for planting cover crops may need to be bigger to allow for successful establishment before the first freeze. Additionally, early spring planting dates may necessitate early cover crop termination, which would limit the function and utility of the cover crop.