Cover crops in sustainable food production

Cover crops are important components of sustainable agricultural systems. They increase surface residue and aid in the reduction of soil erosion. They improve the structure and water-holding capacity of the soil and thus increase the effectiveness of applied N fertilizer. Legume cover crops such as hairy vetch and crimson clover fix nitrogen and contribute to the nitrogen requirements of subsequent crops. Cover crops can also suppress weeds, provide suitable habitat for beneficial predator insects, and act as non-host crops for nematodes and other pests in crop rotations. This paper reviews the agronomic and economic literature on using cover crops in sustainable food production and reports on past and present research on cover crops and sustainable agriculture at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Maryland. Previous studies suggested that the profitability of cover crops is primarily the result of enhanced crop yields rather than reduced input costs. The experiments at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center on fresh-market tomato production showed that tomatoes grown with hairy vetch mulch were higher yielding and more profitable than those grown with black polyethylene and no mulch system. Previous studies of cover crops in grain production indicated that legume cover crops such as hairy vetch and crimson clover are more profitable than grass cover crops such as rye or wheat because of the ability of legumes to contribute N to the following crop. A comparative analysis of four reduced-tillage corn based cropping systems at the Sustainable Agricultural Demonstration site showed that the cover crop system with corn following hairy vetch produced the largest average gross margin, followed by the conventional no-tillage system, a manure-based system, and a crown vetch living mulch system. The EPIC model to simulate the long-term economic and environmental impacts of incorporating cover crops into grain production systems in mid-Atlantic states was used. Results based on 60 simulation years indicated that there are tradeoffs between the competing objectives of increased profitability, lower soil erosion, and reduced nutrient and pesticide hazards to surface and groundwater supplies. A corn/soybean two-year rotation was found to be the most profitable, while the cover crop system and the manure system were found to be the most environmentally sound.