Cover crops provide seasonal living cover in between a farmer’s primary commodity crops and are often planted in the fall to provide winter cover for soil that might otherwise be bare.
During the last decade, the use of fall cover crops has grown for the major cash crops like corn, soybeans, and cotton.
Farmer responses to the Agricultural Resource Management Survey show that in the fall preceding the survey year, producers planted cover crops on 8% of all corn-for-grain acres planted (2021), 11% of all soybean acres planted (2023), and 19% of all cotton acres planted (2019).
Cover crop adoption was also relatively high in cotton fields, where cover crops help prevent erosion and increase soil moisture and organic matter.
Producers can use cover crops to comply with regulations on applying manure to their acres, to address soil health or erosion concerns, or as grazed or harvested forage.
