Indiana farmers break previous conservation records with cover crops
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Thanks to the increased use of cover crops, Indiana farmers have set new milestones for soil conservation, according to a new state survey.
The conservation survey conducted this spring by a branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture says 1.7 million acres of farmland in Indiana are now under cover crops, beating last year’s total of 1.6 million.
Cover crops include types of grasses, wheats and oats and are planted after the fall harvest to improve the soil. The cover crops provide the soil with living roots which helps with fertilization and prevents sediment from collecting in waterways. State environmental officials estimate cover crops prevent around 1.8 million tons of sediment from entering waterways each year.
SDA conservationist Damarys Mortenson said in a news release that the results of the study reflect an increasing awareness of ways to increase soil health, which in turn makes farms more productive.
“These results are very encouraging,” Mortenson said. “The adoption of cover crops on such a large scale indicates that farmers are recognizing the long-term benefits of these practices for both their land and the environment.”
In recent years state policy has been geared toward soil protection with the Cover Crop Premium Discount program being one example where the state is giving discounts on farmers’ crop insurance if they plant more cover crops.
In the last cycle of that program, 117 farmers participated, planting 35,000 acres of cover crops.