Sowing the Seeds of Profit: A Podcast on Cover Crops, Sustainability, and Soil Health

Yara's Crop Nutrition podcast

In this episode, we discuss the benefits of cover crops in terms of sustainability, profitability, and soil health. We explore the ROI of cover crops and how they can improve nutrient use efficiency in farming. Yara's Director of Agronomic Services, Dr. Rob Mikkelsen is joined by Curt Knight, Soil Health Agronomist to provide insight on the latest research and practical tips for farmers looking to incorporate cover crops into their operations.

• Explanation of what cover crops are and how they are used in agriculture
• Types of cover crops and the benefits of each
• Some history of cover crops
• Overview of the benefits of cover crops for sustainability, profitability, and soil health
• Discussion of the financial benefits of cover crops, including reduced input costs and increased crop yields
• Explanation of how cover crops can improve nutrient use efficiency by cycling nutrients and reducing leaching

Useful links for further learning

Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education is a great place to start. Lots of good information on the specifics of cover crop selection and cover cropping strategies.

There are many cost sharing and incentive programs for cover crops:

• USDA Cover Crop Subsidy
• NRCS EQIP (environmental quality incentives program)
• Carbon credit programs: where the company will pay you based on the amount of carbon that your cropping systems have sequestered. Cover crops are usually included in these programs. Our friends at Agoro Carbon Alliance.
• Many statewide and regional cost-sharing programs

For our friends in Canada:

• Ag Action Manitoba
• Ducks Unlimited Canada
• Canadian Agricultural Partnership
• On-Farm Climate Action Fund (Canadian Federal Initiative)