Accelerating Cover Crop Technology Adoption Through Field Demonstrations Using Sunn Hemp, Oats, and Buckwheat in Rotational Commercial Crops

The purpose of this award is for the grantee to advance and increase the adoption of cover crop technology.Commercial scale cover crop demonstration plantings of 2 to 10 acres will be established at 14 sites over the first two years of the project. The size of plots varies due to different crops and crop rotations for different scale farms. Collaborators will counsel cooperators, monitor plantings and demonstrate the benefits of the cover crop to soil fertility, beneficial insects, pest reduction, the follow-on cash crops and business economics. Field Days will be held on all sites, advertised and supported with posters, informational handouts, and discussions. Site and crop specific field data (pest, agronomic and economic) from the project will be analyzed, summarized, and translated to optimize transferability to interested and targeted immigrant farmers. Finally, follow-up efforts will be used to maintain and increase current use by cooperators. The intent of maintaining and increasing the use of Cover Crops becoming a more visible cultural practice and advancing adoption and implementation across the State. This will allow NRCS field personnel to have field references to the practices.