Economic Impacts of Cover Crops for a Missouri Wheat–Corn–Soybean Rotation

Zhen Cai,Shibu Jose,Ranjith P Udawatta,Lauren Cartwright,Clark J Gantzer,Larry Godsey

doi:10.3390/agriculture9040083

Zhen Cai, Shibu Jose + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture9040083

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Abstract

In the United States, agricultural production using row-crop farming has reduced crop diversity. Repeated growing of the same crop in a field reduces soil productivity and increases pests, disease infestations, and weed growth. These negative effects can be mitigated by rotating cash crops with cover crops. Cover crops can improve soil’s physical, chemical, and biological properties, provide ground cover, and sequester soil carbon. This study examines the economic profitability for a four-year wheat–corn–soybean study with cover crops by conducting a field experiment involving a control (without cover crops) at the Soil Health Farm in Chariton County, MO, USA. Our findings suggested that economic profitability of the cash crop is negatively affected by the cover crop during the first two years but were positive in the fourth year. The rotation with cover crops obtained the same profit as in the control group if revenue from the cash crop increased by 35% or the cost of the cover crop decreased by 26% in the first year, depending on the cost of seeding the cover crop and terminating it. This study provides insights for policymakers on ways to improve the economic efficiency of cost-share conservation programs.

Highlights

In the United States, agricultural production is dominated by row-crop farming—approximately85% of the nation’s farmland is devoted to growing corn, soybeans, and wheat [1]
The study compared the annual economic profitability of production of corn, wheat, and soybeans with and without a cover crop in the rotation by examining the cost of the cover crop, the cost of the cash crop, revenues generated by the cash crop, and the cash crop yields
Net revenue was reduced in the short term because of the additional cost associated with the cover crop

Summary

Introduction

In the United States, agricultural production is dominated by row-crop farming—approximately85% of the nation’s farmland is devoted to growing corn, soybeans, and wheat [1]. Row-crop farming has doubled yields for soybeans and wheat, and tripled yields for corn over the past 60 years [2]. It relies heavily on pesticides and fertilizers, which have many negative environmental impacts [3], including reduced soil productivity, increased pests, disease infestations, and weed growth [4,5,6]. 50% of losses of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) from agricultural areas occurs during fallow periods when the land is bare [8,9] Rotating cash crops such as corn, wheat, and soybeans with cover crops including legumes, grasses, and forbs provides many ecological benefits. The cover crops are planted mostly to protect and Agriculture 2019, 9, 83; doi:10.3390/agriculture9040083 www.mdpi.com/journal/agriculture

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