Cover crops support soil conservation, enhance soil health, and improve performance of crops planted later on the same land.
The Benefits of Cover Crops
Regenerative agriculture is gaining momentum as producers look for ways to reduce soil degradation and build long‑term ecosystem resilience. Cover cropping is a central practice within these systems because it supports soil conservation, enhances soil health, and improves subsequent crop performance. Cover crops are non‑cash crops grown during fallow periods to protect, stabilize, and enrich the soil.
Compared with leaving fields fallow, cover crops can reduce soil erosion and chemical runoff, increase water infiltration, and boost soil organic matter and nutrient availability. Many species also suppress weeds and serve as hosts for arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and other beneficial soil organisms, helping maintain or increase microbial inoculum for the next cash crop. When flowering species are used, cover crops can also attract beneficial insects during winter months.
The NRCS Cover Crop Standard (Code 340) guides planting grasses, legumes, or forbs to boost soil health, cut erosion, and manage nutrients. It requires timely planting, adequate biomass, and crop termination in late vegetative stages.
Cover Crop Training
Cover Crops for Soil Health - Eastern U.S. in-person training
This training course serves to expand the knowledge and application of cover crops as an integral part of a full soil health management system in the eastern United States.
Cover Crops for Soil Health - Western U.S. in-person training
This training course serves to expand the knowledge and application of cover crops as an integral part of a full soil health management system in the western United States.
Technical Resources and Fact Sheets
NRCS Cover Crops Overview for Small Farms and Gardens factsheet
Cover Crop fact sheets - produced by NRCS and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach
Webinars
List of cover crop webinar recordings on The Conservation Webinar Portal.
Cover Crop Tools Suite
The following list of tools are included in the Cover Crop Tools Suite and were developed by the United States Department of Agriculture (Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and NRCS), United States Geological Survey, Getting Rid Of Weeds (GROW), regional cover crop councils, and land grant universities:
Cover Crop Seeding Rate Calculator
Cover Crop Nitrogen Calculator
Cover Crop Economic Decision Support Tool
Cover Crop Councils
The following are links to the four U.S. Regional Cover Crop Councils (CCC). The CCCs were formed by scientists, conservationists, producers, and other interested parties to deliver conservation information regarding cover crops on a regional basis.