Agriculture as part of the solution to climate change: Incentivizing the adoption of no-till and cover crops

Introduction

The Biden administration has made climate change a top priority. Agriculture is well-positioned to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address other important environmental problems. One of the best ways for producers to provide these environmental services is to eliminate tillage and use cover crops within a good crop rotation system based on the principles of conservation agriculture.

There are many environmental and conservation benefits from producing crops with no-till and cover crops, one of the most important being carbon (C) sequestration in soil. However, producers are hesitant to adopt these practices because they are costly in equipment and seeds, and because they require more management and expertise. For example, in row crop production, a cover crop must be planted while harvest is ongoing, but harvest must be carried out in a timely manner to avoid crop losses. Planting cover crops at harvest may require more equipment and labor. Also, the cover crop must be terminated in a timely manner, and the cover crop residue managed so that the next cash crop can emerge in a uniform stand. Most producers are experts at farming in clean tilled soils, but some may be challenged to plant into the heavy cover crop residue needed to maximize …