Controlling soil erosion with cover crops

Christina Curell, Michigan State University Extension -

Cover crops can be used to impede soil erosion off of fields.

The reasons why farmers use cover crops are as varied as the number of species that can be used as a cover crop. Traditionally cover crops were used for erosion control. Recent water quality concerns has brought the discussion on cover crops and soil erosion back to the forefront.

Cover crops are a great tool that farmers can use to minimize soil movement off of field. Active roots in the soil hold the soil from water erosion while above ground growth shields soil movement from wind erosion. Covering the soil also protects the soil from rainfall splatter. When it rains, water hits the soil at a great impact causing soil to be displaced. The following chart rates cover crop species ability to decrease soil erosion. The rating encompasses both root and plant growth.
 

Excellent

Very Good

Good

Fair

Barley

Annual Ryegrass

Hairy Vetch

Buckwheat

Cereal Rye

Oat

Red Clover

 

Sorghum-Sudan

Wheat

    

Cowpea

Mustard

    
 

Radish

    
 

Rapeseed

    
 

Berseem Clover

    
 

Crimson Clover

    
 

Field Pea

    
 

Sweetclover

    
 

White Clover

    

 

Chart information taken from Managing Cover Crops Profitably third edition, SARE Handbook Series 9.

For more information or to help decide what cover crop will be best for your farm contact Michigan State University Extension educators Christina Curell, curellc@anr.msu.edu or Paul Gross, grossp@anr.msu.edu. More information can also be found at the Midwest Cover Council website.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

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