Comparing the Ecosystems Services Provided By Mixed or Single Species Cover Crops in Subtropical United States.

Cover crops are proven to provide multiple agroecosystem services such as the protection of soil from water and wind erosion, suppression of weeds and pests, increased soil organic matter, remediation of soil compaction, prevention of nutrient loss, establishes habitat or food for beneficial insects, and enhancement of nutrients for subsequent crops. Proper choice and management of cover crops can provide long term benefits for agricultural fields and reduce problems, however, there relatively little information available for farmers to be able to make informed decisions about the right strategy for their farms, especially regarding cover crop selection, management, and evaluation of benefits of such techniques. Furthermore, adoption of cover crops is precluded by several practical challenges such as the relatively high cost of seed (especially for organic farms), the opportunity-costs associated with using cover crops, and conflicts or insufficient information in planting and harvesting schedules. In our previous participatory research with local organic farmers, most of the information farmers look for are regarding soil enhancement, pest management and weed suppression-- the largest barriers to organic subtropical agriculture. Very few farmers in this region have actually seen cover crop implementation, and as such on farm research and integrative extension activities are important aspects of both understanding and promoting cover crops as an appropriate tool for organic or transitioning farms in this region. This project is designed to address the three major defined research needs expressed by the farmers: weed suppression, pest management, and soil conservation. The specific objectives of this study are to determine the right cover crop or cover crop mix, by evaluating the agronomic, environmental and economic benefits, ultimately address local farmers’ priorities to overcome barrier to organic agriculture in this region.