This decision tool is intended to help farmers who do not currently use cover crops evaluate the expected annual net returns to cover crop adoption under alternative scenarios, and to serve as a benchmark for farmers who are already using cover crops and want to improve the return on their investment.
Partial budgets show the annual net change in profits resulting from adding cover crops to a corn/soybean rotation. The data were collected through a statewide survey in 2017 and analyzed by a team of economists and agronomists at Iowa State University, in close collaboration with Practical Farmers of Iowa.
Authors: Alejandro Plastina, Fang-ge Liu, Wendiam Sawadgo, Fernando Miguez, Sarah Carlson, and Guillermo Marcillo. Programming by Curtis Balmer and Yongjie Ji.
The tool was mentioned on USAGnet.com, Oct. 23
"Ag Decision Maker website has a new decision-making tool that can help crop and livestock farmers assess the value of cover crops on their farm. The free tool, "Economics of Cover Crops," consists of three in-depth budgeting worksheets designed to help farmers analyze the costs and benefits of cover crops and paths to profitability in their row crop operations with or without the integration of livestock."