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Cover crops, farm economics, and policy

Author

Listed:
  • Gary D. Schnitkey
  • Sarah C. Sellars
  • Laura F. Gentry

Abstract

Cover crops have many environmental benefits, including nutrient sequestering, soil health improvements, carbon dioxide removal, and biodiversity increases. Yet, farmers often do not receive enough benefits to warrant planting cover crops, particularly when they have no prior experience with managing cover crops. Therefore, public policies supporting cover crop use may be justified because of the positive externalities of cover crops are greater than the social cost of cover crop programs. Current Federal programs do not provide enough funding to elicit large cover crop use. We present a Federal program designed to increase cover crop use.

Suggested Citation

  • Gary D. Schnitkey & Sarah C. Sellars & Laura F. Gentry, 2024. "Cover crops, farm economics, and policy," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 46(2), pages 595-608, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:apecpp:v:46:y:2024:i:2:p:595-608
    DOI: 10.1002/aepp.13404
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Sellars, Sarah C. & Schnitkey, Gary D. & Gentry, Laura F., 2023. "Cover Crops on Illinois Farms," Journal of the ASFMRA, American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers, vol. 2023, January.
    2. Wallander, Steven & Smith, David & Bowman, Maria & Claassen, Roger, 2021. "Cover Crop Trends, Programs, and Practices in the United States," Economic Information Bulletin 309562, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    3. Plastina, Alejandro & Liu, Fangge & Sawadgo, Wendiam & Miguez, Fernando & Carlson, Sarah, 2018. "Partial Budgets for Cover Crops in Midwest Row Crop Farming," Journal of the ASFMRA, American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers, vol. 2018.
    4. Schnitkey, Gary & Swanson, Krista & Paulson, Nick & Zulauf, Carl, 2021. "Impacts of Rental Arrangements on Cover Crop and Conservation Practice Adoption," farmdoc daily, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, vol. 11(106), July.
    5. Claassen, Roger & Bowman, Maria & McFadden, Jonathan & Smith, David & Wallander, Steven, 2018. "Tillage Intensity and Conservation Cropping in the United States," Economic Information Bulletin 277566, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    6. Roth, Richard T. & Ruffatti, Michael D. & O'Rourke, Patrick D. & Armstrong, Shalamar D., 2018. "A cost analysis approach to valuing cover crop environmental and nitrogen cycling benefits: A central Illinois on farm case study," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 159(C), pages 69-77.
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