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Indiana farmers plant a record 1.6 million acres of cover crops

By Isabella Vesperini

Posted July 27, 2023

Cover crops help reduce erosion in southern Indiana and help build organic matter in northern Indiana. (Courtesy of Shannon Zezula)

Indiana farmers have planted a record 1.6 million acres of cover crops this year, according to the 2023 conservation survey.

Shannon Zezula, state resource conservationist, said cover crops are crops that are not meant to be harvested; they are planted in the fall and stay in the soil until the spring to help recycle nutrients and improve soil health. Cover crops include rye, legumes and clover.

“A lot of our farmers are seeing that they’re more resilient against these extreme weather events, erosion and flooding,” Zezula said. “It helps them in the long term.”

Zezula said about 10 percent of Indiana’s 12-million-acre farmland has cover crops; 10 years ago, barely one percent of the state’s acreage was devoted to growing cover crops. Cover crops help farmers in southern Indiana with erosion due to the hilly landscape. In the flatter landscapes in northern Indiana, cover crops help build organic matter and control weed growth.

“Farmers are business people; they’re not going to put money into a farm and not get it back,” Zezula said. “It takes a lot of management from the farmer to make sure that the cover crop doesn’t negatively impact the corn and soybean crop.”

Zezula said investing in cover crops helps reduce the cost of producing corn and increases production and money earned.

“We are very proud of Indiana’s farmers and we consider ourselves a leader in the nation,” Zezula said. “We got there because of our commitment to helping farmers understand the value of cover crops, providing that education and outreach to the farmer.”