Improving cover crop performance with community science

Commodities

Practices

• Crop Production: cover crops
• Education and Training: farmer to farmer, networking, on-farm/ranch research, participatory research
• Production Systems: agroecosystems

Cover crop adoption is increasing in the North Central Region (NCR), but many cover crop benefits depend on successful plant growth, or biomass. Preliminary data from a community science project conducted in partnership with 100 NCR farmers from 2022-2023 show that cover crop biomass is highly variable across working farms. This is because a range of environmental and management factors influence cover crop growth, and thus their contributions to nutrient cycling, soil health, and weed suppression. We propose to expand upon this community science project, with the goal of equipping farmers with the knowledge and resources to improve cover crop management. Specifically, we will collaborate with NCR farmers from six Great Lakes states (MI, OH, IN, IL, WI, MN) to: 1) understand variation in cover crop biomass across different farming conditions using a brief field assessment paired with a short management survey; 2) develop practical recommendations for optimizing cover crop outcomes based on those findings; and 3) facilitate network building and knowledge sharing through field days, webinars, and an interactive ArcGIS Storymap. These activities will be guided by an advisory committee of farmers from across the region, whose expertise will enhance the design, implementation, and application of this work.

Our proposal uses an integrated approach, combining community science, outreach, and education in partnership with farmers across the NCR to meet the following objectives:

1. Partner with the NCR farming community to identify key drivers of variation in cover crop performance across the region.
2. Develop practical and context-specific recommendations for optimizing cover crop performance in different growing conditions.
3. Facilitate learning, network building, and data sharing within the agricultural community through field days, webinars, an interactive ArcGIS Storymap, and infographics portraying innovative practices used on participating farms.