Cover crops provide a variety of benefits-but we thought we’d keep it short and sweet. Here’s a quick highlight of 3 great benefits of cover crops for farming operations
1. Reduce Erosion – Cover crops protect the soil from raindrop impact and keep soil in place with cover and roots protecting it from wind and water erosion. This assists in keeping organic matter and nutrients on your acres-right where you want it.
2. Soil Structure – Cover crops help to build soil structure by first protecting it from erosion, growing roots/creating channels in the soil, and exuding sugars to feed soil organisms. The soil organisms help to build soil structure while benefiting plants with nutrients. Increasing soil structure reduces compaction, increases infiltration, and allows for increased exchange of nutrients in the soil to plants which provides benefits to cash crops.
3. Build Organic Matter – Increasing organic matter increases plant available nutrients, helps to build soil structure which increases infiltration, and increases the plant available water holding without limiting oxygen. Cover crops are able to pump carbon from the air and put it in the soil adding above and below ground carbon. This also feeds the soil organisms to cycle nutrients and residue while providing benefits to plants.
