Cover Crops for Agricultural Nonpoint Source Pollution Control
Growing cover crops is a beneficial practice to reduce nutrient and sediment losses from agricultural fields and improve water quality. Cover crops also increase soil health through enhancing soil organic matter content. USDA NRCS’s soil health campaign Exit highlights the benefits of improving and maintaining America's soil. USDA has released guidelines (PDF)(6 pp, 1.2MB, About PDF) Exitfor 2014 that allows for more flexible cover crop management than in previous years.
Many organizations are working to expand cover crop implementation including the Midwest Cover Crop Council Exit the Conservation Technology Innovation Center Exitand the National Wildlife Federation (NWF). NWF's Roadmap to Increased Cover Crop Adoption (PDF)(12 pp, 1.6MB, About PDF) Exitdefines the barriers to cover crop implementation and provides a framework for addressing the barriers to accelerate cover crop adoption. NWF's Clean Water Grows Exit report outlines six successful cover crop outreach efforts to improve water quality. States can support cover crops through their Nonpoint source management programs.
Related Links:
- The Great Lakes Cover Crops Initiative Exit
is funded by EPA's Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and seeks to demonstrate the effectiveness of cover crops and conservation tillage systems to decrease agricultural nonpoint source pollution and inform producers about the economic benefits of these systems. - Cover Crops and Soil Health ExitLearn more about cover crops and how they improve soil health on this NRCS page. This site also includes plant guides for commonly used cover crops that provide assistance in selecting appropriate cover crops.
- Cover Crop Surveys:
- SARE-CTIC Cover Crop Survey 2012-2013(PDF)(39 pp, 19.4MB About PDF) Exit
- SARE-CTIC Cover Crop Survey 2013-2014(PDF)(51 pp, 4.30MB, About PDF) Exit
- SARE-CTIC Cover Crop Survey 2014-2015(PDF)(45 pp, 6.05MB, About PDF) Exit
- These surveys, carried out by the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) and the USDA North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program, demonstrates the potential yield benefits from cover crops planted in drought years. Questions on cover crop adoption, challenges, and benefits were also included in the survey. Additional cover crop surveys conducted by CTIC can be found on the CTIC Cover Crops pageExit
- Learn more about nutrient pollution.