Noble Research Institute consultant Jim Johnson shares important questions farmers should try to answer to improve their chances of success with cover crop seeding.

A preliminary analysis of data released from the 2017 Census of Agriculture shows cover crop acreage in the U.S. has grown by more than 8% per year since 2012 and major Corn Belt states such as Iowa, Illinois and Missouri appear to be leading the charge, according to an analysis by Rob Myers, regional director of extension programs for Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE). In terms of growth rates, Iowa’s 156% increase in cover crop acres led the nation, with 973,112 acres seeded in 2017 vs. 379,614 in 2012, Illinois, Ohio, Nebraska and Missouri also led the way with increases of 100% or more, Myers says.

To get a head start on establishing winter covers, interseeding has started to become a popular practice by producers in the northern region of the Corn Belt, says Grassland Oregon. Quite a bit of experimentation has been done over the last few years by farmers and researchers trying to dial in which species work best, when to plant, how to plant and which herbicides to avoid.

In the Midwest Corn Belt, corn often covers 40 percent of the landscape or more. In partnership with the Honey Bee Health Coalition, the National Corn Growers Association identifies potential effects of agricultural practices on bees at each stage of production and recommends ways to mitigate those impacts.