Cover Crop Acreage Up Or Down?

[Jim Meade / Iowa City]

Talked to a local aerial applicator last night who said cover crop acreage is down this year from last. He suspects the farm economy has something to do with it. Hard to pencil out $30/acre cover crop cost this year. What are you seeing? I actually put in 30 acres which is a new for me.

[sw363535]

Jim, It might make sense for those who get extra water whether they like it or not.  But it still adds expense to the real crop and seldom with enough yield boost to justify...  

It really gets hard to consider in most of Ks because any extra water use is expensive or at the expense of the cash crop..

We have tested several and $30 usually came out to $50 or $60 ... all things considered,, time, equipment, fertility issues, water etc.

[buckfarmer]

My cover crop acres have more to do with timeliness of harvest and weather/soil conditions. Looks like this year I will have more cover crop acres. I would like to have all my HEL planted to some kind of cover crop. Some years harvest is to late and or wet to make that happen.

[Shaggy98]

I will continue to plant a few cover crops but they are mainly for livestock purposes.