For centuries, farmers have been using cover crops to prevent soil erosion, improve nutrient cycling, and sustain their soils. However, conditions in 2012 have renewed many growers interest in cover crops to help mitigate the effects of the drought by: 1) Trapping residual nitrogen that went unutilized by the current corn crop; 2) Building organic matter, and 3) Decreasing the risk of soil erosion. Listed below are selected cover crop extension resources, some of which were written in specific response to the 2012 drought:
- Purdue: A general publication regarding cover crops following the summer 2012 drought.
- Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin fact sheet on considerations for using cover crops in 2012 for nutrient conservation. This resource also recommends a recently published set of cover crop tips for emergency forage.
- The Midwest Cover Crops Council (website hosted by Michigan State), which includes links to:
- Cover crop selection tools for field crops and vegetables.
- The Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education handbook on managing cover crops profitably.
- Links to cover crop education materials from eight different Land Grant Universities.
- Iowa State: A very understandable explanation of how cover cropping can potentially affect crop insurance coverage.
Additional drought resources from over 23 state Cooperative Extension Services are available through the Extension Disaster Education Network.
