Corn, Cover Crops, and a Sustainable Future

Corn is one of the most widely grown crops in the United States and with so many different uses and applications of the crop, it’s easy to see why! But a changing climate has resulted in corn farmers learning to adapt and implement sustainable farming techniques to protect their livelihood and the planet using techniques such as planting cover crops.

Cover crops can be an incredibly useful tool for farmers to reduce erosion and improve overall soil health in their corn fields and more farms are adopting this technique. In fact, cover crops have been encouraged in Iowa as part of the state’s nutrient management plan, with use increasing from 10,000 acres in 2009 to 600,000 in 2016! Cover crops are great for corn fields because they provide a substantial habitat for beneficial predatory pests. Farmers can use an integrated approach to pest management and use pesticides only when and where they need them and in the smallest amount possible. Using cover crops in corn fields also reduce carbon in the atmosphere by storing it in the soil. 

A Minnesota farmer dedicated to improving his farm’s environmental footprint embraced cover crops to make his farm more sustainable. When planting cover crops at the prime time for corn (when the crop is about 8-10 inches tall), he found cover crops protect and improve the soil, reduce erosion, enhance fertility, result in cleaner water, create a habitat for wildlife, and keep more carbon out of the atmosphere. He also lowered his cost for herbicides, as cover crops eliminated the need for a post-emergence application. Overall, he saved $15 per acre and has seen increased yield in corn in addition to a more targeted herbicide approach, thanks to cover crops.

The use of cover crops has been present in other states as well. Corn farmers in Illinois partnered with PepsiCo and their Sustainable Farming Program and documented the ability to cut CO2 emissions using cover crops. In the first two years of this endeavor, participating farmers have reduced CO2 emissions by 8,155 metric tons, equivalent to taking 1,762 cars off the road. Many corn farmers working with PepsiCo on this initiative had not used cover crops before and are seeing the benefits.

Implementing practices such as cover crops and other environmentally friendly farming techniques on large production crops like corn helps farmers take another vital step towards the collective goals to increase sustainability and mitigate climate change.