Predicting Cover Crop Effects On Soil Erosion and Quality Using Integrated Approaches and Tools.

Water (sheet and rill) erosion on cropland declined from 1.68 billion tons per year (4 tons/acre/year) in 1982 to 960 million tons per year (2.7 tons/acre/year) in 2007 in the United States.  Despite this decline in erosion rates, water erosion is still one of the most predominant resource concerns facing producers and conservation planners.   Roughly 99 million acres (28% of all cropland) are eroding above soil loss tolerance (T) rates.  Improving soil quality is key to improving soil, water, air, plant, and animal resources. Cover crops can help reduce water erosion and improve soil quality, among other resource improvements, when applied within an integrated cropping system. Integrated approaches and tools are necessary for achieving and assessing sustainable farming systems.  The Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation version 2 (RUSLE2) is a process-based model that predicts long-term average annual soil loss for a given set of climatic conditions, on a defined land slope, and under a specified cropping and tillage management system.  RUSLE2 can be used to predict the erosion and soil quality benefits of cover crops. Practical applications, integrated approaches and tools, and interpretations of the effect of cover crops on soil erosion and soil quality will be provided.