Like all aspects of farming, growing cover crops doesn’t always go as intended. Pennsylvania cover crop expert Steve Groff says that how cover croppers react to failure is critical for learning and doing better the next time. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)

Many cover crop species can be used as forage while also providing soil health benefits, says Pennsylvania cover crop expert Steve Groff, including hay, baleage and grazing. The type of cover crops to plant depends on your ultimate goal for those cover crops, as that goal can affect seeding rates, planting dates, and fertility. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)

Typically, double cropping done after small grains is planting soybeans in wheat stubble, but not always, says Pennsylvania cover crop expert Steve Groff. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)

Mitchell Hora grows corn and soybeans in Washington County on a farm his family has owned for 115 years. He started planting cover crops four years ago and just recently started seeing economic progress after losing $100 an acre in his first year. Read more in this article from The Daily Iowan.

Proponents say that rotating cash crops such as soybeans, wheat and corn with cover crops such as legumes, grasses and forbs has many benefits. It replenishes the soil, reduces erosion, cuts down on runoff pollution and helps to control pests. Read more in this article from University of Missouri.

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has announced the creation of the Center for Digital Agriculture (CDA), a new center that brings together agricultural producers, researchers, and industries to innovate on the technology that is transforming agriculture to feed and support a growing global population. The center, which launched at the Center for Digital Agriculture Industry Conference, seeks to develop digital solutions to agricultural roadblocks.

Managing legumes as a cover crop requires smart decision making, says Pennsylvania cover crop expert Steve Groff. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)

Profitability is what all growers are aiming for, no matter the crop. However, profitability is a term that is relative when it comes to evaluating the effectiveness of using cover crops. Over time, covers are giving more in terms of profitability than can be quantified — through improved soil health, increased water holding capacity, organic matter, earthworm activity, more supportive bacteria in the soil, cooler soil temperatures, and more. How do you put a price tag on some of those intangible, but extremely beneficial, qualities?