Nutrient Management for Successful Cover Crops

By CropLife Staff|January 15, 2019

Cover crop implementation has been promoted for several decades as a method to improve soil and water quality, writes Heidi Peterson, Director, Phosphorus Program, International Plant Nutrition Institute. Although producers have been reluctant in the past to integrate them into their management, cover crops have found their way back into more recent discussions as a strategy for meeting nutrient loss reduction goals. To overcome some of the past agronomic obstacles encountered with cover crop implementation, it is important to first consider crop nutrition.

Cover crops can improve the soil’s biological, chemical, and physical properties. Many of these properties also impact crop nutrient management; therefore, cover crop adoption decisions must be integrated into conversations with your nutrient adviser.

What cover crop species do I use?

Cover crops can improve soil infiltration, aggregation, porosity, and water-holding capacity. Improved soil structure and porosity supports proper root growth and development, which affects the plant’s ability to access nutrients in the soil profile, especially those with low mobility, such as phosphorus (P). Your cover crop selection should depend on the benefit you want to achieve. For example, if the goal is to reduce the risk for nitrogen (N) and P runoff during the spring months when the surface soils are bare, a winter-hardy species, such as winter rye, may be the best option (Noland et al., 2018).