Monoculture Cover Crops Better than Polyculture

Producers who use polyculture cover crops often think they can get better yields from their crops than using a monoculture because of the bigger variety.

WSU’s Andy McGuire said that studies show that’s not the case.

“The mixtures do not yield more than the best single species.”

Polyculture cover crops can offer a wider variety of benefits when it comes to protection from soil erosion, nitrogen replenishment, etc., but they do so with less effectiveness than that of a monoculture.

McGuire said mixtures for cover crops will benefit fields, but it’s just not his suggestion on how farmers should proceed.

“Decide on their main goal and then plant for that and if they get some of these other benefits out of it, they should look at that as extra.”

McGuire said the one exception to the polyculture mixture studies is a combination of legumes and certain grass species which studies have shown do offer better benefits.

If you have a story idea for the Washington Ag Network, call (509) 547-1618, or e-mail krounce@cherrycreekradio.com.