- News
- April 27, 2010
For every contribution of $20 or more, you'll receive a copy of Francis Thicke's new book.
Innovative Farming Practices: Using Rye as a Cover Crop
by Francis Thicke
Last Thursday I attended a field day at the farm of George and Steve Schaefer, near Kalona. The Schaefers use rye as a cover crop after corn and soybean crops in order to reduce soil erosion and to scavenge and hold soil nutrients, so the nutrients do not leave the field and get into our water resources. The Schaefers are innovative farmers who are experimenting with a number of innovative farming practices.
Cover crops provide many benefits, though some of the benefits are longer-term than the year in which they are grown. Some of the benefits of cover crops include reduced soil erosion, reduced nutrient loss, increased soil organic matter (which also means more carbon sequestration in the soil) and increased water-holding capacity of the soil. However, most Iowa farmers are not motivated to grow cover crops because much of the benefit of cover cropping is long-term.
One of the environmental concerns about Iowa’s extensive corn and soybean production without cover crops is that corn and soybeans are annual crops that actively grow for only about four months during the summer. Perennial crops, on the other hand, begin growing early in the spring and continue growing until late in the fall. Even while dormant during the winter, perennial crops will cover the soil and protect it from erosion.
It would be helpful if farm policy were more supportive of cover cropping and perennial crops in crop rotations. For example, the federal crop subsidy program provides greater benefits to farmers for growing corn and soybeans than for growing perennial crops. And, the crop subsidy program provides no motivation for farmers to use cover crops to qualify for payments. In the future, we should look to crafting farm policy to better balance environmental concerns with short-term economic ones.
No Comments