Cover Crop
A cover crop is a plant grown primarily to protect and enrich the soil between cash crop seasons rather than for harvest.
Cover crops are species planted during fallow periods — such as after fall harvest or before spring planting — to provide ground cover that prevents erosion, suppresses weeds, and improves soil biology. Common cover crops include cereal rye, crimson clover, radishes, and hairy vetch. Leguminous cover crops fix atmospheric nitrogen, reducing fertilizer needs for the following cash crop. Deep-rooted species like radishes break up compaction layers and improve water infiltration. Cover crops also sequester carbon and are increasingly incentivized through USDA conservation programs like EQIP and CSP. Management decisions include species selection, planting date, termination timing, and how residue is handled before the next crop.