Adoption and perception of cover crop implementation for tropical fruit growers

Abstract

Cover cropping is a sustainable strategy for increasing soil nutrients and organic matter, and improving overall soil health. This practice is heavily promoted for annual vegetable growers; however, there is less widespread acknowledgement for cover crops as a management strategy in perennial settings. Research is limited in this field, specifically when considering cover cropping for tropical fruit groves. The current study analyzes data from surveys distributed to Miami-Dade County (MDC) tropical fruit producers to quantify their perceptions on incorporating cover crops in their fruit production systems. Two surveys were formulated and distributed virtually to understand farmer familiarity/interest in cover cropping and to uncover factors that impact likelihood of cover crop adoption. Logistic regression analysis of cover crop adoption revealed that having previous experience with cover crops, valuing cover crop importance, perceiving the practice as economically viable, and farm acreage were all positive predictors of cover crop adoption. When questioned about specific tropical leguminous cover crop species, sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea L.) and velvet bean (Mucuna pruriens [L.] DC), farmers expressed ~5% greater interest in incorporating sunn hemp into their production systems. Quantitative and qualitative data revealed that 90% of surveyed farmers were interested in learning more about cover crops and 85% were likely to attend demonstrative workshops to discern if implementing cover crops would be right for their operation. Overall, the findings suggest that MDC fruit producers are interested in incorporating cover cropping practices with 80% of respondents indicating they would like to improve conservation practices within their production systems. Applying cover crops can potentially improve soil quality and reduce erosion in the MDC agricultural area and in other regions where perennial fruit crop production is prominent. Additionally, implementation of cover cropping as a substitute to reduce usage of synthetic fertilizers has positive implications to decrease nutrient loads in the imperiled ecosystems of Florida Bay and the Everglades.