Soil health practices such as cover crops and no-till can result in an economic return of over $100 per acre, according to a set of case studies jointly released by the National Association of Conservation Districts and Datu Research, LLC.
Cover crops and no-till can limit soil loss, reduce run-off, enhance biodiversity, and more. Naturally, farmers who are considering adopting these practices are keen to know how they will affect their farm’s bottom line.
Anyone who’s attended a Kerr Center horticulture workshop in the last umpteen years has been exposed to the idea that crop rotations confer numerous benefits both on the soils they’re carried out on, and on the crops that grow in those soils. Studies hot off the academic presses have just added more support to the notion.
Two new studies show the beneficial effects of both cover crops and crop rotation on soil health and quality. These practices boost beneficial soil microbes and enhance the soil’s ability to withstand weather extremes like drought and flooding.
