Farmers and Communities Reap the Benefits of Planting Covers
Acres planted to cover crops and enrolled in the Department of Agriculture’s “Fall Covers for Spring Savings” Program provided economic benefits to farmers in the form of a five dollar an acre discount on crop insurance premiums. The 50,000 acres enrolled in the program also provided environmental benefits to Illinois communities.
Click here for more information regarding the Fall Covers for Spring Savings Program.
The Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy shows that cover cropping can be one of the most effective in-field strategies for reducing both nitrate-nitrogen and total phosphorus lost from corn-soybean fields.
Crop insurance is an integral part of the farm safety net that provides protection for farmers after bad weather impacts their crop yields. Cover crops can improve the resiliency of Illinois farm operations by improving the soil’s ability to absorb and hold water for crops. In other words, when managed well, cover crops can reduce the risk of yield being impacted by bad weather.