Anna Cates, State soil health specialist Rye cover crop terminated prior to soybean. How much cover crops cost to implement and whether they can make you money is a subject of heated debate. Costs are obvious: seed, time and fuel to plant and terminate them. The benefits tend to be less tangible and slower to accumulate: cover crops stabilize yields , but don’t necessarily increase them, and sometimes they lead to lower nutrient or herbicide applications over time . They’ll also definitely slow erosion and nutrient loss , but unless you’re spending money each year on eliminating ruts and putting in grass waterways, those savings can be hard to see. A new spreadsheet tool developed by Katie Wilts Johnson, the MN Office for Soil Health, and the Center for Farm Financial Management lets growers and advisors play around with different scenarios to see what’s profitable over one, five and ten year periods. Plant the cover crop yourself instead of hiring an operator? Big boost. Planning on
