Soil Health Is a Continued Capacity That Includes Year-Round Ground Cover.

Soil health in the organic systems plan includes a required cover crop between each annual production crop(s).   Only recently have cover crops started to become popular on conventional farms, where farmers wonder, “Why do I want to grow a crop that I don’t get paid for.”  

ARS and NRCS studies in recent years on 900+ farms across the USA revealed you do in fact get paid for cover crops.  The side-by-side comparisons showed an average 12-13% improvement in the subsequent corn and soybean crop. While there are variations around the mean, a double-digit yield response is significant both in numbers and in farm income.

Soil health is the continued capacity of the soil to function as a vital living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, and humans.  The soil is the basis of everything

The presentation will show

How critical root diversity is to above ground performance (bushy shorter roots and long roots that bring up deep-buried essential nutrients);

How essential ground cover preserves the moisture for plant growth (when soil temperature is 70° F then 100% of moisture goes into growth); and

How soil health can be assessed through the types of organisms present.

Cover crops come in many varieties depending where in the country you farm, however, the ARS/NRCS data showed an average positive response regardless of geographic location and production crop grown. The results have caused RMA to alter the risk management tables to reflect the benefit of cover crop utilization.  When the farm is managed organically cover crops are required, however, based on recent revelations – and in order to significantly save on the new “most limiting nutrient,” WATER – it would behoove every farm to cover the ground year round.

Key words:  Soil health; Cover crops; Plant and root diversity; Water saving capacity.