Soil Quality: Using Cover Crops to improve soil health and moisture retention

The purpose of this project is demonstrate to producers how innovative cropping systems (no‐till systems which include Cover Crops in rotation) used on Midwest glacial till soils can increase resiliency to drought via improved soil health as a result of carbon retention. This effort will provide a better understanding of changes in health of soil using early predictions based on changes to the soil biology as impacted by selection of plant materials, planting strategy, and soil management for Cover Crops and can be utilized within a producer’s management plan to ultimately make positive changes in farm soil health. An approach will be developed for the prediction of soil health changes following the implementation of cover crop programs (an innovative approach to increase water retention and reduce nutrient loads to water and air.) Using producer field sites, the effects of Cover Crops on the availability of soil water will be documented through a two‐year planting cycle. Changes in water holding capacity as a function of soil properties, cover crop management practices, soil biology and biochemistry will be demonstrated and quantified. Changes in soil biology and physical qualities will be used as early predictors of the critical changes in the systems and their importance demonstrated to producers. This project will provide fundamental knowledge that will be turned into educational programs leading to adaptive management practices that fully utilize combinations of plant types and management systems to achieve resource protection and soil revitalization.