Survey Reveals Benefits of Cover Crops

A recent survey by the USDA of farmers says they are benefitting from cover crops in their yields and weed control.

Chad Watts with the Conservation Technology Information Center said cover crops are catching on around the country.

“It’s not just, anymore, small farmers who do vegetables and horticultural crops. It’s not just conservation zealots who only do no-till. It’s a wide variety of farmers who are doing cover crops.”

Of those surveyed by the USDA, in partnership with Perdue University, 88 percent used cover crops.

Watts said the impact for those who use cover crops has been big.

“We saw about a two bushel increase in the corn yields, a two bushel in the soybean crop. We saw about a two bushel increase in the wheat yields on farms that had cover crops.”

In addition, 69 percent of survey responders said cover crops always or sometimes helps with herbicide-resistant weeds.