A new study conducted by scientists from Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University and North Carolina State University has revealed that cover crops can provide significant benefits to farmers in the Midwest region of America by keeping the soil drier and healthier, thus preventing situations where planting cannot be done due to natural disasters such as excessive soil moisture, rain, or flood. This study was published in the American Journal of Agricultural Economics, which is highly prestigious in its field worldwide.
The research was conducted in 12 states covering the corn production regions of the USA between 2005 and 2016. The study found that the use of cover crops was effective in controlling excessive moisture in the spring, and thus helped reduce payments made to farmers under agricultural insurance.
Cover Crops Can Reduce Farmer Losses by 40%
Professor Serkan Ağlaşan from the Bucak Business Faculty of Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University pointed out that the use of cover crops reduced prevented planting losses. Ağlaşan said, "Our study shows results consistent with the expectation that cover crops better control excessive soil water. This proves that improved soil conditions help reduce the likelihood that farmers cannot plant their main agricultural products due to excessive rain." Ağlaşan also added, "We find evidence that long-term use of cover crops improves soil health and leads to greater reductions in prevented planting risk. A 1% increase in the use of cover crops indicates a nearly $40 million reduction in insurance compensation related to prevented plantings."
The US agricultural insurance program was expanded to include prevented planting losses with the Federal Agricultural Insurance Reform Act launched in 1994. This expansion provides significant financial support to farmers by providing allowances for crops that cannot be planted. The research also emphasizes that the use of cover crops such as alfalfa, oats, and rye helps keep the soil drier during heavy rains by using the water in soil channels and thus creating a suitable seed bed for the main crops. These findings indicate that widespread use of cover crops can reduce risks in agricultural production.