Farmers expand cover crop acreage to cut fertilizer costs and improve soil health

More U.S. corn and soybean growers are turning to cover crops this fall as a way to reduce fertilizer costs and improve soil health ahead of the 2026 growing season. Farmers and agronomists say the practice can help recycle nutrients, enhance microbial activity and lower dependence on synthetic fertilizers.

World corn yield record holder David Hula, who farms near Charles City, Virginia, said planting cover crops allows growers to retain key nutrients such as nitrogen, potash, boron and sulfur that might otherwise leach away. “If you plant a cover crop, it’s going to pick up those nutrients, and then when you kill that cover crop, you can recycle that residue or the residual nutrients left over,” Hula explained.

Cover crops also stimulate soil microbial activity, said agronomist and farmer Randy Dowdy. “It always helps our early-season tissue sample values go up where we’ve got a cover crop,” he noted. “From a biological and nutrient availability standpoint for next season, it’s a no-brainer.”

Adoption trends and economics

Survey data from the September Purdue/CME Ag Economy Barometer show that farmers with experience using cover crops are expanding their acreage. Fifty-seven percent of cover crop users reported planting them on between 26% and 50% of their acres this year, up from 25% in 2021.

Jim Mintert, emeritus professor of economics at Purdue University, said the trend reflects growers’ increasing familiarity with the practice. “Maybe the folks that have learned how to use them are adopting them on a wider portion of their farm acreage,” he said.

The 2022 U.S. Census of Agriculture reported a 17% increase in cover crop acreage between 2017 and 2022, from about 15.4 million acres to nearly 18 million acres. Cover crops now account for 4.7% of all U.S. cropland.

Regional adoption varies depending on climate, soil types and incentive programs. Maryland, for example, has the highest rate of cover crop use, driven by state initiatives to protect water quality in the Chesapeake Bay.

Favorable conditions for planting

Warm autumn weather across much of the Midwest could help farmers establish cover crops before winter, Hula said. “A lot of times, Midwest growers are worried they’re going to run out of time to get a cover crop planted, but with as warm as it is, you have a good chance to get some growth established this fall,” he said.

The Midwest Cover Crops Council advised that adequate soil moisture and rainfall remain critical for successful establishment, noting that between 0.5 and 1 inch of rain after seeding is ideal.

For growers facing tight margins due to high input costs and lower commodity prices, Hula and Dowdy recommend experimenting with cover crops on select acres this season to gauge benefits in nutrient retention and yield potential.

Source: AgWeb