The Value of Cover Crops... Survey Says

Who doesn’t like the results of a good survey? This one in particular has us excited. We’ve been talking with farmers about cover crops for quite a few years now. Recently, the calls are coming in, and farmers are seeing the value of cover crops.

The results of 2016-2017 National Cover Crop Surveydemonstrates that even further. The survey was conducted by CTIC(Conservation Technology Information Center) with funding support from USDA-SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education) program and ASTA (American Seed Trade Association).

A group of over 2,000 farmers responded, and of this population 88% of them have planted some cover crops. Impressive statistic!

The results of this survey provide a first-hand account of why farmers are planting cover crops. Due to this value that farmers gain from cover crops, the survey revealed that farmers have increased their planting of cover crops acreage and in turn yields have improved. While soil building is a relatively slow process, this chart below shows us some exciting statistics.

Learn More about Cover Crops

As it proves from the information above, farmers are onboard with cover crops. So, what’s next for cover crops? How can this trend go even further?

The fact is...there is not a one size fits all cover crop. There are many different species that can be implemented in many different systems which all perform differently. And it’s not as simple as having one cover crop to suit your land and soil--more often, farmers are being advised to plant a “cocktail” of cover crops that will create the perfect formula and promote the best possible scenario for their fields. In the past, farmers have been tasked to blend their cover crops themselves--but those days are over.

At EMS, we look to mix and bag custom blends of cover crops according to what farmers need. We work hard to stock the widest variety of cover crops so that we can offer the best balance of seeds that will get your soil the best payoff. We have the knowledge of how cover crops perform, and we have completed many tests to better our understanding. Every season, we look to pass this knowledge onto our farmers--we’re just a phone call away at 800-401-7333.

Learn more about Cover Crops at EMS here.