The Cover Crop Challenge: An experiential learning activity for teaching students about cover crop mixtures

Cover crop mixtures are popular among farmers because they can provide a broader range of ecosystem services than monocultures. However, designing effective cover crop mixtures is difficult because differences in competitiveness among species can cause uneven growth within mixtures, reducing benefits from the suppressed species. The Cover Crop Challenge is an experiential learning activity where students explore and evaluate cover crop mixtures. It was implemented in a multi-university course composed of six universities across the Eastern and Midwestern United States in 2022 and 2023. A survey of students from the multi-university course revealed that 97% of respondents (n = 78) thought the Cover Crop Challenge was a valuable activity. Students reported that the activity enhanced their understanding of ecological, agronomic, and economic principles related to cover cropping and that they appreciated the opportunity to collect their own data in a hands-on environment. Additionally, there were positive correlations between student value in the Cover Crop Challenge and their perceived accomplishment of course-wide learning objectives related to cover cropping. Consequently, the Cover Crop Challenge addresses common barriers farmers face when using cover crops, providing students with valuable insights beyond the classroom.