Cover crops might seem like some extra unnecessary farm management work to keep your fields looking green and busy, but there are more benefits to cover crops than you may think… Reducing Erosion When your fields lay empty for months on end, their top soil naturally starts to erode. This depends on the climate and geography of your farm. You could have howling winds and torrential rain battering your farm for weeks on end, or droughts that suck the life from the fields. Some particular cover crops offer shelter to your fields and protect the nutritious top soil you need for growing those desirable crops later in the year. The best crops for this job are ones with a well-developed root system to hold onto that valuable top soil. Consider: Rye. A perfect winter cover crop that withstands winter climates with strong roots. However, be careful to harvest and remove all rye by spring as it can become difficult to control and may suppress newly planted crops. Wheat. This is a winter hardy crop that is available in several variations that you could use to cover your fields. They are dense enough to cover and protect your fields while being easier to remove than rye. Suppressing Weeds You might be noticing weeds popping up over your empty fields as time goes by – while technically they could be helping to reduce erosion, they also bring a range of other problems. Primarily, they could be taking up all the specific nutrients you need for growing your crops in the next season. They may even be toxic weeds or be attracting harmful pests: these could linger and damage your crops later in the year. The best, natural way to suppress weeds without the use of harmful chemicals is to plant cover crops. The best crops for suppressing weeds are ones that can cover a vast area and will quickly outgrow weeds. Broad leaves with a high surface area and greater root networks may be beneficial in overpowering weeds. Consider: Arugula. This brassica can be seeded in the Autumn and will cover your fields over winter (although it goes dormant for several of the coldest months before spring). Buckwheat. This cover crop grows fast and can quickly out pace any weeds while also improving soil nutrients. Balancing Nutrition Fertilising your soil takes up precious time when sowing your best crops – but it’s worth it, especially when it means your crops will perform better than ever and turn a great profit. What if there was a more efficient, environmentally friendly way to improve the balance of nutrition in your soil? By carefully picking the correct cover crops you can manage the nutritious level of your fields so they are perfect for your crops later in the year. It really depends on what nutrients you need in the soil but these crops are usually good general cover crops for healthy soil management. Consider: White Clover. This cover crop is nitrogen-fixing and will help to improve your overall soil health. This clover does well in shady and wet areas too, so should be able to withstand some harsher, wet weather conditions. Field Peas. They may not be good for the winter but over the spring and early summer months but field peas are the best crops at this time for fixing nitrogen in your soil ready for later crop planting. Making Money When fields are unused they’re not making you money. What’s worse is if you need to spend money maintaining your fields when there are no crops growing in them at all. It’s always wise to keep a pot of savings for over those empty months, but wouldn’t you rather be making money during this time too? Some cover crops can be fairly valuable and while they won’t be worth as much as your desirable crops later in the year, they can still turn a small profit to help keep you going. The most valuable cover crops are the ones that can either be sold for profit now, or feed money into your produce later in the year. Consider: Rye. Not only is this cover crop good for reducing erosion, but it can also feed your grazing livestock and cattle, saving you even more money on your farm. Removing the plant entirely will take more time and money than letting your livestock graze in the fields. Other Popular Produce. Consider flowers, seeds or other produce that is popular at the time you are needing to grow cover crops. Finding a niche and selling your cover crops in it can be very lucrative. When working out how much cover crops could make you, it’s worth sitting down and calculating the long term benefits. Consider the yield improvement later in the year having invested in cover crops now. You may even have data available from previous years which you can use to calculate how much more money can be made when your field soil is at its optimum nutritious level. If not, you may be able to use data on the soil nutrients to work out the potential for crop growth before and after planting cover crops. Why not give it a try after your harvest and see the great benefits?