Cover crops are continuing to prove very beneficial to yields according to the results of a survey conducted by the Conservation Information Technology Center.

A survey of more than 1,200 farmers across the country revealed that cover crops boosted corn yields last year by a mean of 3.66 bushels per acre (2.1%) and increased soybeans by an average of 2.19 bushels per acre (4.2%)—the third year in a row a yield increase following cover crops was recorded by the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) Cover Crop Survey.

The survey, conducted by CTIC with funding from USDA’s Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) and the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA), also registered a fifth year of steady increase in the average number of acres planted to cover crops. Average acres of cover crops per farm reported in the surveys have more than doubled over the past five years.

“It’s great to see the immediate benefits of yield increases from cover crops, and very exciting to see that the use of cover crops continues to expand,” says Chad Watts, CTIC program director. “What’s particularly interesting is that while seeing an immediate benefit like a yield bump from cover crops is great, the large majority of farmers who plant cover crops told us they actually rate improvements in soil health, increases in soil organic matter, reduced soil erosion and improved weed control far higher than yield increases when they list the benefits they enjoy from the practice. That shows a strong appreciation for the wide range of long-term benefits cover crops deliver.”

You can find a report on the survey here (pdf). Keep the upcoming CTIC Conservation in Action Tour in mind. Would be good to fit into your schedule.