By MICHELE F. MIHALJEVICH

Indiana Correspondent

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Acreage devoted to no-till or cover crops rose by more than 13 million acres nationwide from 2012 to 2017, according to the latest Census of Agriculture.

No-till practices were reported on about 104 million acres in 2017, up from 96 million. Farmers planted cover crops on about 15 million acres, up from 10 million.

Regionally, Iowa had the most no-till acreage at 8.2 million. Illinois had 6.5 million; Indiana, 4.9 million; Ohio, 4.3 million; Kentucky, 2.4 million; Tennessee, 2.3 million; and Michigan, 1.6 million. Iowa also had the most cover crop acreage at 973,000. Indiana had 936,000; Ohio, 718,000; Illinois, 708,000; Michigan, 673,000; Kentucky, 417,000; and Tennessee, 341,000.

Iowa’s cover crop numbers may be attributed in part to a push from the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the agency’s private and nonprofit partners, said Michael Henderson, resource conservationist for the Iowa NRCS office.

“We’re focusing on education and developing an understanding of what cover crops will do,” he explained. “We’re trying to get out of the mindset that erosion is all that matters, and talking more about the soil health dynamic. Cover crops fit into that mindset in looking at the benefits – what does a healthy soil do for you?”

While Iowa saw a substantial increase in no-till, Henderson said some producers still resist the practice thanks to peer pressure and other factors.

“Emotions about no-till can run really high in some situations. A sizable percentage of farmers, when asking me about erosion, will say, ‘I know, I know, you’re going to tell me no-till. I know the story, but that’s not what I’m here for.’ We have to get past that barrier.”

Producers are also concerned about the farm management changes and possible yield lag that might come with no-till, he added.

Mike Werling, a conservation programs specialist for the Allen County, Ind., Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), said farmers understand the need for good soil health but still may not want to make a change. “Some may say, ‘I’ve always done it, it always worked, why should I change?’”

The district has used an Interseeder on a limited basis the past three years. The Interseeder, developed by Pennsylvania State University, allows farmers to plant a cover crop, sidedress nitrogen, and spray herbicide in one pass of a field.

Last year, despite weather issues, some farmers with cover crop trials that survived saw a yield increase in corn with the Interseeder, said Greg Lake, district director.

“No one has of yet seen a negative impact of putting cover crops out. As a producer, when I’m trying something new, if I can see a two- or three-bushel bump, in my mind, that’s great. But each year will be different. You’ll end up with a weather phenomenon when it’s too wet or too dry.”

The district is planning a trip to Penn State for this summer to look at Interseeder test plots. Producers are welcome. For more information, call the SWCD office at 260-484-5848, ext. 3.

The Tennessee Farm Bureau and partners such as USDA, NRCS, and the state Department of Agriculture work to promote the benefits of no-till and cover crops, said Lee Maddox, the organization’s director of communications.

“No-till and cover crops not only help the environment, but today’s technology helps with yields, protecting their bottom lines and their soils,” he said. “Soil is such a valuable resource – they don’t make any more of it. No-till and cover crops do affect their yields in a positive way.”

Farmers in West Tennessee, where the land is highly erodible, have “adopted no-till like nobody’s business,” Maddox noted. “It’s the only way you can go to keep that soil in place.”

Indiana farmers are gaining a better understanding of how conservation practices fit into their operations, and how they can be successful in using them, noted Ben Wicker, executive director of the Indiana Agriculture Nutrient Alliance.

“With cover crops, farmers have figured out their value and how to manage them. They’ve held up with weather extremes. For no-till, farmers have had to adopt some new practices. Changing weed and weather patterns make it a practice that can become increasingly challenging to manage,” he said.

The state’s no-till numbers remained virtually unchanged from 2012-17. “We have really good adoption numbers,” Wicker said. “If we already had good numbers, it’s really hard to get a big increase.”

Maria Bowman, lead scientist with the Soil Health Partnership, said excitement about and interest in cover crops at the local farmer, state, and federal levels has been shown through financial and technical support.

“As we learn about what cover crops work best in what areas and in what soils, more resources are available,” she pointed out. “There is a significant cost associated with planting a cover crop. It was exciting to see (the increased acreage numbers) even in the middle of an economic downturn.

“You need to be honest with a farmer about the risks and challenges of cover crops. You want to set farmers up for success. I don’t see any reason for the trend (of more acres) not to continue.”