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Covered Soils

Soil Health Framework
Covered Soils

What does this look like? 

Living systems that keep soils secure all year replace “clean” tilled fields. Cropping areas are covered by plants and/or plant matter outside of the crop year. Green vegetation is in the field in the fall, with rooted residues remaining in the spring.

Why is this helpful?

Consistently covered soils improve soil health in several ways. Root systems anchor the soil and prevent soil losses, limiting erosion and improving soil aggregation. The roots also introduce organic carbon into the soil and foster the growth of microbes (e.g., mycorrhizal fungi), boosting biological nutrient recovery and cycling. Soil aggregation improves soil porosity, which in turn increases water holding capacity, allowing the soil to act like a sponge. Cover crop foliage and crop residues moderate soil temperature fluctuations and mitigates the destructive impact of heavy rain. Species can be selected to perform different services in-field such as nitrogen fixation (legumes) or breaking up hardpan (brassicas). In general, cover crops improve the performance of soils and their responsiveness to other soil health practices. 

 

Engaged Advanced Leading
30% coverage year-round, implement cover crops once per crop rotation. 50% coverage over the duration of a full crop rotation, implement cover crops annually. Meeting Advanced and using advanced cover crop practices (i.e., multi-species mixes with consideration for functional groups and/or inter-seeding).

Co-benefits on the farm:

  • The in-field effects of consistently covered soils can save growers on fertilizer and irrigation costs, while improving the performance of other practices used in combination.
  • Implementing cover crops can address most soil resource concerns: classic and ephemeral gully erosion, sheet and rill erosion, soil subsidence, aggregate instability, compaction, organic matter depletion, and soil organism habitat loss.  
 
 
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