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Survey: Cover crops can decrease input costs

A national survey of cover crops in the U.S. shows their use can decrease input costs.

Mike Smith with the Conservation Technology Information Center tells Brownfield of the growers surveyed, who had used cover crops with corn for at least three years, 12% saved between 16 and 20-dollars per acre on herbicides, “That may be that they skipped a follow-up application because they had enough control with just the burn down and the residual that they didn’t need to go back in.”

He says 40% of farmers surveyed didn’t see cost savings on herbicides but DID get better weed control following cover crops.

As for fertilizer costs, Smith says, “About half said that they hadn’t seen any change, that they paid the same. Just over 2% said that they’d seen higher fertilizer costs. But the remaining nearly 49% reported at least some kind of cost savings.”

Smith says 10% of those saved up to $20 an acre in fertilizer costs.

~PHOTO BY CTIC