Maximizing Summer Cover Crop Conservation Benefits for Improved Vegetable Production

This project aims to employ cover crop legumes to reduce N pollution in vegetable rotations by taking up excess soil N and providing fixed nitrogen, while also providing flowering Habitat for pollinators and other beneficial insects. While farmer interest is high, actual adoption of Cover Crops remains low due to lack of knowledge about optimal management, potential for nitrogen delivery, soil health improvement, and beneficial insect and pollinator services within vegetable rotations. This project takes the innovative approach of introducing flowering summer Cover Crops into vegetable systems, advancing the NRCS National Priority of integration of Pollinator Habitat into agricultural systems.