Managing Cover Crops Profitably - Valley Crops Home

FOREWORD
Cover crops slow erosion, improve soil,
smother weeds, enhance nutrient and
moisture availability, help control many
pests and bring a host of other benefits to your
farm. At the same time, they can reduce costs,
increase profits and even create new sources of
income.You’ll reap dividends on your cover crop
investments for years,because their benefits accumulate
over the long term.
Cover crops can make you a better neighbor,
too. They prevent nutrient leaching and runoff,
and reduce or eliminate the off-site impacts of
herbicides and pesticides.
There is a cover crop to fit just about every
farming situation.The purpose of this book is to
help you find which ones are right for you.
Since the Sustainable Agriculture Network
(SAN) published Managing Cover Crops
Profitably in 1992, more and more farmers have
tried cover crops and are researching their use in
farming systems. Other research by university
and government scientists, agricultural professionals
and numerous farm organizations has
contributed more information about how cover
crops can enhance traditional cropping systems.
This book distills published and unpublished
cover crop experiences into a reader-friendly
reference tool for use by farmers and agricultural
professionals. Our writers reviewed published
literature in scientific journals and talked with
farmers and researchers using cover crops. The
dedicated help of a knowledgeable editorial board
and reviewers throughout the country rounded
out the book.
A publication of this scope cannot possibly
describe all the cover crops currently in use.We
have selected the most proven crops with the
widest possible application in the continental
United States. Because of space and time limitations,
several very promising species were omitted
or not given complete coverage. Some of
these are mentioned in Appendix B, Up-and-
Coming Cover Crops (p.158).Many other species
with great potential as cover crops in particular
climates or cropping systems are accessible
through publications and cover crop experts listed
in the appendices.
Many of the proven species described in the
book may be more familiar as forage or cash
crops.These crops have been adapted for use as
cover crops, which, strictly speaking, are not
harvested. Our primary intent in this book is to
describe the use of these crops as cover crops.
Because economics plays a major role in deciding
which crops farmers include in their rotations,we
do mention some important alternative uses that
make growing cover crops even more rewarding.
If you plant one of these cover crops and want
the option to harvest it as a cash crop, consult
other resources for more complete information.
We have tried to include enough information
for you to select and use cover crops appropriate
to your operation.We recommend that you define
your reasons for growing a cover crop—the section,
Selecting the Best Cover Crops for Your
Farm (p. 30) can help with this—and take as
much care in selecting and managing cover crops
as you would a cash crop.
Regional and site-specific factors can complicate
cover crop management. No book can adequately
address all the variables that make up a
crop production system. Before planting a cover
crop,learn as much as you can from this book and
talk to others who are experienced with that
cover crop. Consult state and local resources for
specific information about adaptation and management
of a cover crop in your area. See also
Recommended Resources (p. 162).
We hope that this updated and greatly expanded
edition of Managing Cover Crops Profitably
will lead to the successful use of cover crops on
a wider scale as we continue to increase the
sustainability of our farming systems.
Andy Clark, Coordinator
Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN)
May, 1998
FOREWORD 5