Researchers Update Tool to Help Iowa Farmers Select Cover Crop Varieties

By Cami Koons

A free, online tool that helps farmers evaluate cover crop species based on things like county, production goals and drainage situation has been updated to reflect new research in the field. 

Iowa’s data for the Midwest Cover Crops Council cover crop decision tool, which was last revised in 2019, was updated to include 13 new cover crop species, more recent seeding dates that are accurate to county-level climate data and reviewed ratings of species for the area. 

Elizabeth Ripley, the conservation and cover crop outreach specialist with Iowa Learning Farms, said the tool not only recommends cover crop varieties to farmers, but also gives them a detailed sheet on potential challenges, seeding and termination requirements. 

“There’s a lot of information out there, and this is a great way to compare species directly, based on producer goals,” Ripley said. 

Ripley said the tool does not analyze cost, but said it can be a good way for farmers to learn about different species and start conversations with their local Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) office about cost share programs. 

Farmers will often use programs like the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program, or EQIP, program to offset some of the costs of adding a cover crop to their operation. The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship also incentivizes the practice with a program that reduces crop insurance premiums on cover cropped acres. 

According to an Iowa Nutrient Research & Education Council survey, nearly 4 million acres of corn and soybean cropland were planted with a cover crop in the 2023 crop year, which is more than double what was planted in 2017. 

Cover crops and reduced tillage practices are viewed as important elements in reducing nutrient runoff and soil loss from cropland.

The decision tool, hosted by Midwest Cover Crop Council, was updated with input from researchers, agency staff, seed dealers, farmers and other organizations.

Ripley said it was important to expand the list of cover crop species to make sure Iowa farmers had relevant research to consult when considering new seed mixtures. 

“Those were added in to be options, or at least to provide recommendations for folks that may be hearing about these different species from folks using them across the Midwest,” Ripley said. 

The 13 new varieties include: forage cabbage, sugarbeet, phacelia, lentil, chickling vetch, balansa clover, sweetclover, faba bean, proso millet, foxtail millet, Japanese millet, pearl millet, and spring triticale. 

Each variety also has county-specific seeding guidelines which were updated with the most recent 30-year climate normal. 

Ripley said staff from Iowa State University and the state NRCS office will be hosting a webinar in late April with more information on the update, which will be posted at Iowa Learning Farms.

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