Quantifying the Agronomic, Economic, and Environmental Benefits of Cover Crops in Mid-South Production Systems

In large-scale production agriculture systems in the mid-South, the focus on increasing yields, without consideration for soil health has resulted in a de facto limitation of relying solely on the upper six inches of the soil profile due to sub-surface compaction. This has produced an agricultural system which is characterized by poor soil health, indicated by poor aggregate stability, low organic matter, poor infiltration, soil crusting, erosion, and degraded water quality. In order to change the management practices in our agriculture systems, we need to demonstrate systems that provide solutions to current soil health concerns, and provide quantitative information on economic and ecological benefits to producers. We believe that we can best encourage adoption of cover crops into mid-South production systems by visually demonstrating their economic and ecological benefits to producers, engaging them in efforts to improve soil health, and providing them with a blueprint for what a management system that promotes soil stewardship will look like on their farm.