Farmers taking part in a survey about cover crops reported a nearly 3-percent increase in wheat yields when cover crops are used in the offseason, says the Conservation Technology Information Center. This was the first time the survey compiled enough responses to calculate the impact on wheat; past surveys associated cover crops with higher corn and soybean yields.
“Cover crops are a hot topic in conservation agriculture,” says the report, based on a survey of 2,100 farmers. “They’re more than a buzzword today — farmers are using cover crops to resist soil erosion and build soil health by improving a wide range of soil’s physical and biological properties.” Growers overwhelmingly said improved soil health was a key benefit of cover crops, followed by more consistent yields. Two-thirds of respondents said it was easier to control herbicide-resistant weeds after a cover crop of cereal rye.
“The 2016 harvest results show an increase of 1.9 bushels an acre [of wheat] where cover crops are used,” said the report. “This is an increase of 2.8 percent, from 67.6 to 69.6 bushels per acre.” For corn, yields increased 1 percent, and for soybeans the increase was nearly 4 percent.