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Understanding the economics of cover crops

A cover crops consultant says as commodity prices have dropped one of the biggest questions he’s asked is whether planting them makes economic sense.  Rodney Rulon farms in north central Indiana.  He says like anything else in agriculture it’s been really fun the last five-years because you could try anything and see if it worked.

Rulon says during the time of high farm income, farmers experimented with cover crops enough to figure out what paid and what didn’t.

He tells Brownfield he’s at point where they have enough documented benefits to justify the conservation practice.  “We’re making enough yield gains just from the use of the cover crops in those strips to more than justify the cost of the seed,” he says.  “In addition to that we’re seeing the other benefits like building organic matter and reducing fertilizer needs through cycling the nutrients.  We’re also holding on to the nitrogen and keeping it out of the ground water we think that’s pretty important.

Rulon says even at the lower corn prices he breaks even on the seed cost – and being able to capture the nutrient benefits at no extra costs is an added benefit.

He says it is a win-win for his farm.

AUDIO: Rodney Rulon, Arcadia, IN