Cover Crop Benefits and Barriers in Wisconsin: Runoff and Productivity.

With over $43.4 billion contributing to Wisconsin’s economy, the dairy industry is vital to the state. Due to their high feed value, corn silage and alfalfa are often used as feed. Practices such as no-tillage and cover crops have been shown to help limit the negative impacts silage production can bring, such as increased erosion susceptibility. Instead of leaving the soil bare after harvest, the surface cover created by cover crops can considerably reduce wind and water erosion. This study evaluated six production systems, including cover crops [no cover (NC), cereal rye (CC) and cereal rye harvested (CCH)] and two types of tillage [no-tillage (NT) and chiseling (CT)]. A rainfall simulator was used in June & October 2016 and April 2017 to compare runoff and phosphorus (P) losses. In addition, a survey was distributed in Wisconsin to determine barriers or incentives of adopting cover crop practices. No significant yield differences were found in 2014, 2015 or 2016. The amount of runoff, sediment, and P losses varied depending on the time of year, but on average, plots with cover crops (regardless of their tillage), had 25.6% less runoff, 57.1% less sediment loss, and 35.9% less total P loss. Additional analysis on the runoff collected, along with evaluating various soil health parameters will be completed to further compare the treatments. The cover crop survey was completed by 165 participants, 86% of which said they had used or are currently using cover crops. The top motives to using cover crops were to reduce soil erosion (74.1%) and to improve soil health (58.0%). For non-cover crop users, time/labor was the largest factor that prevented use (52.2%), followed by no measurable economic return (39.1%). These results will help determine how to improve farmer adoption and influence future cover crop research.