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Cover Crop Trends, Programs, and Practices in the United States

Author

Listed:
  • Wallander, Steven
  • Smith, David
  • Bowman, Maria
  • Claassen, Roger

Abstract

On U.S. cropland, the use of cover crops increased by 50 percent between 2012 and 2017. Over this same period, Federal and State conservation programs have increased efforts to promote cover crops through financial and technical assistance. Based on a series of farm- and field-level surveys, this report details how cover crops are managed on corn, cotton, soybean, and wheat fields.

Suggested Citation

  • Wallander, Steven & Smith, David & Bowman, Maria & Claassen, Roger, "undated". "Cover Crop Trends, Programs, and Practices in the United States," Economic Information Bulletin 309562, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:uersib:309562
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.309562
    as

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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Roger Claassen & Eric N. Duquette & David J. Smith, 2018. "Additionality in U.S. Agricultural Conservation Programs," Land Economics, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 94(1), pages 19-35.
    2. Borchers, Allison & Wallander, Steven, 2014. "Double Cropping by U.S. Farmers Varies Over Time and Regionally," Amber Waves:The Economics of Food, Farming, Natural Resources, and Rural America, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, issue 05, pages 1-1, June.
    3. Horowitz, John K. & Ebel, Robert M. & Ueda, Kohei, 2010. ""No-Till" Farming Is a Growing Practice," Economic Information Bulletin 96636, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    4. Plastina, Alejandro & Liu, Fangge & Sawadgo, Wendiam & Miguez, Fernando E. & Carlson, Sarah & Marcillo, Guillermo, 2018. "Annual Net Returns to Cover Crops in Iowa," Journal of Applied Farm Economics, Purdue University, vol. 2(2).
    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.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    1. repec:ags:aaea22:343758 is not listed on IDEAS
    2. repec:ags:aaea22:335568 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Burnett, J. Wesley & Szmurlo, Daniel & Callahan, Scott, 2024. "Farmland Rental and Conservation Practice Adoption," Economic Information Bulletin 341821, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    4. Fengxia Dong, 2022. "Cover Crops, Drought, Yield, and Risk: An Analysis of US Soybean Production," NBER Chapters, in: American Agriculture, Water Resources, and Climate Change, pages 241-267, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. Hsin‐Chieh Hsieh & Benjamin M. Gramig, 2024. "Estimating the impact of cover crop adoption on ambient nitrogen concentration in the upper Mississippi River drainage," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 46(2), pages 609-626, June.
    6. Luwei Feng & Yumiao Wang & Rasmus Fensholt & Xiaoye Tong & Torbern Tagesson & Xiaoxin Zhang & Jonas Ardö & Jie Zhou & Wenxuan Shao & Yujie Dou & Yirong Sang & Feng Tian, 2025. "Globally increased cropland soil exposure to climate extremes in recent decades," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-10, December.
    7. David Weisberger & Melissa Ann Ray & Nicholas T. Basinger & Jennifer Jo Thompson, 2024. "Chemical, ecological, other? Identifying weed management typologies within industrialized cropping systems in Georgia (U.S.)," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 41(3), pages 935-953, September.
    8. Meilin Ma & Carson Reeling & Megan N Hughes & Shalamar Armstrong & Richard Roth, 2023. "Comparison of conservation instruments under long-run yield uncertainty and farmer risk aversion," European Review of Agricultural Economics, Oxford University Press and the European Agricultural and Applied Economics Publications Foundation, vol. 50(5), pages 1685-1714.
    9. USDA Office of the Chief Economist, 2023. "Report to Congress: A General Assessment of the Role of Agriculture and Forestry in U.S. Carbon Markets," USDA Miscellaneous 349044, United States Department of Agriculture.
    10. repec:ags:aaea22:343974 is not listed on IDEAS
    11. Andrew B. Rosenberg & Bryan Pratt & Daniel Szmurlo, 2025. "Impacts of an increase in federal assistance for cover cropping: Evidence from the Environmental Quality Incentives Program," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 107(3), pages 795-825, May.
    12. Han, Guang & Niles, Meredith T., 2023. "An adoption spectrum for sustainable agriculture practices: A new framework applied to cover crop adoption," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 212(C).
    13. repec:ags:aaea22:343986 is not listed on IDEAS
    14. repec:ags:aaea22:335939 is not listed on IDEAS
    15. Katherine Baldwin & Anne Effland, 2022. "Integrating prevention into the risk management policy toolkit: A strategy for improving resilience to extreme events," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 44(3), pages 1222-1240, September.
    16. repec:ags:aaea22:344010 is not listed on IDEAS
    17. Burnett, Wesley & Szmurlo, Daniel & Callahan, Scott, 2022. "Land tenure and conservation adoption: An analysis of contracts and incentives," 2022 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Anaheim, California 322244, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    18. repec:ags:aaea22:343746 is not listed on IDEAS
    19. Eric Britt Moore, 2023. "Challenges and Opportunities for Cover Crop Mediated Soil Water Use Efficiency Enhancements in Temperate Rain-Fed Cropping Systems: A Review," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-14, April.
    20. 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.
    21. Russell, Dillon & Singh, Gurbir & Quintana-Ashwell, Nicolas & Kaur, Gurpreet & Gholson, Drew & Krutz, L. Jason & Nelson, Kelly A., 2024. "Cover crops and irrigation impacts on corn production and economic returns," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 295(C).

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