How beneficial are cover crops and what are the management constraints that limit their broader adoption? As a member of a multidisciplinary effort that involved postdocs, graduate students, and faculty, we sought to answer this question. Using quantitative models and semi-quantitative estimates, we estimated the temporal dynamics of 11 ecosystem services and two economic metrics when cover crops are introduced into a 3-year soybean–wheat–corn rotation in a typical Mid-Atlantic climate. We estimated that cover crops could increase 8 of 11 ecosystem services without negatively influencing crop yields. When we measure ecosystem services matters due to the episodic nature of some services and the time sensitivity of management windows. See the press release for more information.

We are collaborating on a field-based research project quantifying the ecosystem services provided by cover crops and cover crop mixtures within grain cropping systems in the Mid-Atlantic region. This research integrates ecological theories with real-world agronomic constraints and includes both research station and on-farm experiments.