Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

Short-term outcomes

There is greater awareness and understanding of cover crops and their potential beneficial effects across the Midwest. A larger number of students have been involved in core cover crop research and training. Farmers are asking for more information and guidance about how to integrate them into their cropping systems. Members of NCCC-211 and MCCC have contributed to this greater understanding among agricultural audiences.

 In Iowa, data collected through USDA-funded Precision Sustainable Agriculture project showed planting corn into a green cereal rye cover crop increased seedling disease severity and contributed to reduced corn yields. Consequently, it is recommended to terminate cereal rye 10 days or more before planting corn.

In 2024, the Farm Bill Program Funding Obligated for Cover Crops in Indiana (Contracts for future cover crop plantings) was $12,411,369.; the Inflation Reduction Act funded $8,913,612 on 189,611 acres; Environmental Incentives Program $3,102,786 on 64,322 acres; and the Conservation Stewardship Program $394,971on 25,149 acres.  The 2024 Funding Paid for Cover Crops Planted Through Farm Bill Programs was $7,637,249; Inflation Reduction Act: $2,230,855 on 48,812 acres; Environmental Incentives Program: $4,757,631 on 104,787 acres and Conservation Stewardship Program: $648,763 on 56,821 acres. There was a 47% increase in contracts for small scale cover crops (1 ac or less) funded through Farm Bill Programs showing the growing popularity of cover crops in small and urban settings.

 In Illinois, interest in cover cropping as an in-field conservation practice for improving water quality continues to increase, given its relevance in the IL Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy. This includes several collaborations, including the University of Illinois, Western Illinois University, Southern Illinois University, government agencies (e.g., IL EPA, IL Dept. of Ag), commodity groups (IL Corn and Soybean), and other state organizations such as American Farmland Trust, Illinois Sustainable Ag Partnership, IL Fertilizer & Chemical Association, etc. For instance, the IL Soybean Association has directed ~$716,000 to cover crop related research.

Previous research has focused on assessing the impacts of cereal rye cover crop and nitrogen management on water quality and corn yield in the last 5-6 years. In addition to research, several other events, webinars, and field days provided technical training to approximately 1500 attendees. The Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Podcast (extension.illinois.edu/nlr/podcast) released several episodes discussing several aspects of conservation practices, including cover crops. interest in cover cropping as an in-field conservation practice for improving water quality continues to increase in Illinois, given its relevance in the IL Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy.

 Minnesota research and outreach professionals have incorporated cover crops into their investigations of disease, nutrient management, weed control, and soil health. In addition, basic agronomy of cover crops remains an important topic for Minnesota growers, so a large amount of outreach material includes information on planting and termination methods and timing. Research on the environmental outcome of cover crops, such as their reduction of erosion and improvements in soil structure, continues. Breeding and agronomic research efforts to perennialize cropping systems with winter oilseeds or perennial living mulches continues strongly.

 In North Dakota, 17 researchers and extension faculty are involved in research and extension in cover crops in North Dakota at NDSU. Two of them were hired in 2024 at NDSU main campus and three in the Research stations across the state were hired at NDSU. Cover crops acreage increase in over 100% from the 2017 to the 2022 census indicating adoption is increasing than to the research and extension programs supporting cover crops adoption at NDSU.

Outputs

Cover Crop Recipes continue to be developed to provide a starting point for farmers who are new to growing cover crops. In total 40 Recipes have been developed and posted in the MCCC website.There has been a consistent effort for continual website improvements on a monthly basis.  

Increased funding has allowed hiring an additional two half-time Extension Educators. This brings the MCCC paid staff to a total of one full-time program manager and three part-time extension educators at different land-grant institutions in the Midwest..

 With the cover crop decision tool, all the frost data that runs the seeding date calculations were updated to the most recent NOAA averages. We continue to review and update states’ data on a rolling basis. This work is done in conjunction with technical experts in each state, building consensus among professionals working in each state.

 Cover crop training, 2025 trainings (Wisconsin, Illinois, North Dakota). These trainings were targeted for NRCS and industry professionals based on pilots from the previous year. Positive feedback from these trainings is encouraging for continued trainings in all 12 of the North Central U.S. states.

New cover crop training module project built from a college course developed from Precision Sustainable Agriculture project. The course has been modified into online modules of a virtual course for agricultural professionals. The course is cohort based to encourage networking and includes lab projects carried out on custom demonstration plots of the participants’ choosing. The first pilot of the course had 54 total students, and 37 students finished with a certificate.

 The MCCC professional development program track for graduate students was started in 2023, continued through the 2025 MCCC annual meeting. Graduate students from the Midwest region presented posters about the cover crop research. About 20 students presented research posters on cover crops in 2025 annual meeting.

USDA-NIFA SAS Precision Sustainable Agriculture (PSA) Coordinated Agriculture Project continued with representatives from 6 states (IA, IN, KS, MI, NE, WI). This project has coordinated research protocols for on-farm experiments (3 per state) in IA, IN, KS, NE, and WI to investigate soil moisture and cover crop decomposition. Additionally, experiment station trials include cover crop plus optimal N rates and termination timing influence on pest/disease dynamics, and cover crop decomposition. In addition, the newly developed undergraduate cover crop course that was offered for the first time in the fall of 2021 simultaneously at 7 institutions, the course was offered again in fall 2022, and in fall 2023. Michigan State University and University of Nebraska - Lincoln representatives promoted MCCC/NCCC-211 materials to be included (i.e. all students received a Cover Crop Field Guide, management course module showcased the Selector Tool). This course has received excellent reviews from students who enjoy learning from students and faculty across the 7 institutions. This project ended in August 2024.

 USDA-NIFA-SAS CAP Catalyzing Cover Crop Advancement as a Climate-Smart Practice through a National Variety Improvement and Seed Production Program started in 2023  led by Rob Myers, and several members of this committee are involved in the national cover crops variety trial (IN, MI, MO, NE, ND, WI).

Activities

Number of presentations: >100

Number of research publications: 40

Number of Extension publications: 5 IN; 11 MI; 22 NE, 2 ND

Number of Abstracts: 2 MI; 10 ND

Number of graduate students, visiting scientists and postdocs: 7 IA; 12 IL;16 IN; 13 MN;18 ND; 11 NE;

Number of grants: 10 total

Number of field days: >20

Milestones

Through strategic planning the MCCC executive committee refined 3 key focus areas: education, network growth, and collective impact. 

Educational milestones have been achieved through publication of additional cover crop recipes, new web materials such as the termination page, and assistance with trainings and workshops around the region.

A network growth milestone was achieved by MCCC participating as an exhibitor at several national meetings attended by farmers and other agribusiness, such as Commodity Classic and Soil and Water Conservation Society annual meeting, to help broaden the reach and distribution of outreach materials. 

 Collective impact is being accomplished through the SAS CAP project and also the work of the Program Manager in assisting the new Western Cover Crops Council in their development of a Selector Tool for their region.

1. Almeida, T., Robinson, E., Matthiesen, R., Robertson, A.E. and Basche, A. 2024. Effect of cover crop species and termination timing on corn growth and seedling disease. Agronomy Journal 116: 1792-1803. https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.21601
2. Baker, K., S. Koduru, S. Babaei, O. Adeyemi, G. Williams, S. Armstrong, A. Margenot, and A. Sadeghpour. "Precision planting effect on winter rye yield and quality for biofuel and forage production." Biomass and Bioenergy184 (2024): 107219.
3. Bartel, C. A., K. L. Jacobs, K. J. Moore, and D. R. Raman. 2024. Anticipatory Technoeconomic Evaluation of Kentucky Bluegrass-Based Perennial Groundcover Implementations in Large-Scale Midwestern US Corn Production Systems. Sustainability 16, 7112. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16167112
4. Birru, G., Shiferaw, A., Tadesse, T., Wardlow, B., Jin, V.L., Schmer, M.R., Awada, T., Kharel, T. and Iqbal, J., 2024. Cover crop performance under a changing climate in continuous corn system over Nebraska, 53, 1, pp. 66-77.
5. Blair, H., Gutknecht, J., Jelinski, N., Lewandowski, A., Fisher, B., & Cates, A. (2024). Nature versus nurture: Quantifying the effects of management, region, and hillslope position on soil health indicators in an on-farm survey.
6. Blanco‐Canqui, H., Jasa, P., Ferguson, R.B. and Slater, G., 2024. Cover crops and deep‐soil C accumulation: What does research show after 10 years? Soil Science Society of America Journal, 88(6), pp.2167-2180.
7. Bowman, M., Afi, M., Beenken, A., Boline, A., Drewnoski, M., Krupek, F. S., Parsons, J., Redfearn, D., Wallander, S., & Whitt, C. (2024). Cover crops on livestock operations: Potential for expansion in the United States (Report No. AP-120). U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/342471/
8. Cabello-Leiva, S. M.T. Berti, D.W. Franzen, L. Cihacek, T. Peters, and D. Samarappuli. 2024. Can Nitrogen in Fall-Planted Cover Crops Be Useful To a Subsequent Maize Crop? Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 79(2):99-112, https://doi:10.2489/jswc.2024.00048
9. Cates, A. M., DeJong-Hughes, J., Gatchell, D., & Bloomquist, M. (2024). Cover Crops and Strip Tillage had no Effect on Yield in Production- scale Sugarbeet Fields. Journal of Sugar Beet Research, 61(1).
10. Cavadini, J., and E.J. Kladivko. (accepted Oct. 2024). Oilseed radish/cereal cover crop bicultures and soil phosphorus distribution. J.Soil Water Cons.
11. Chatterjee, A., Dinnes, D. L., Olk, D. C., & O’Brien, P. L. (2024). Influence of Annual Ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) as Cover Crop on Soil Water Dynamics in Fragipan Soils of Southern Illinois, USA. Soil Systems, 8(4), 126. https://doi.org/10.3390/soilsystems8040126
12. Córdova SC, Kravchenko AN, Miesel JR, Robertson GP. Soil carbon change in intensive agriculture after 25 years of conservation management. Geoderma  453: 117133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2024.117133/ 
13. Costa, A., Bommarco, R., Smith, M. E., Bowles, T., Gaudin, A. C. M., Watson, C. A., Alarcón, R., Berti, A., Blecharczyk, A., Calderon, F. J., Culman, S., Deen, W., Drury, C. F., Garcia y Garcia, A., García-Díaz, A., Hernández Plaza, E., Jonczyk, K., Jäck, O., Navarrete Martínez, L., … Vico, G. (2024). Crop rotational diversity can mitigate climate-induced grain yield losses. Global Change Biology, 30, e17298. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.17298
14. Crespo, C., O'Brien, P. L., Nunes, M. R., Ruis, S. J., Emmett, B. D., Rogovska, N., Malone, R. W., Cambardella, C., & Kovar, J. L. (2024). Contrasting soil management systems had limited effects on soil health and crop yields in a North Central US Mollisol. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 88, 1723–1735. https://doi.org/10.1002/saj2.20716
15. Crespo, C., O'Brien, P. L., Ruis, S. J., Kovar, J. L., & Kaspar T. C. (2024). Thermal time and precipitation dictate cereal rye shoot biomass production. Field Crops Research 315, 109473. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2024.109473
16. Gomes, V.E.d.V, Kennedy, A.M., Darcy, A.R., and Lindsey, A.J. (2024). Seed Science and Technology, 52, 2, 163-175. https://doi.org/10.15258/sst.2024.52.2.03
17. Gregg S, Gesch RW, Garcia y Garcia A. Nitrogen Uptake and Use Efficiency in Winter Camelina with Applied N. Nitrogen. 2024; 5(2):509-517. https://doi.org/10.3390/nitrogen5020033
18. Huddell, A. M., Thapa, R., Marcillo, G. S., Abendroth, L. J., Ackroyd, V. J., Armstrong, S. D., Asmita, G., Bagavathiannan, M. V., Balkcom, K. S., Basche, A., Beam, S., Bradley, K., Canisares, L. P., Darby, H., Davis, A. S., Devkota, P., Dick, W. A., Evans, J. A., Everman, W. J., de Almeida, T. F., Flessner, M. L., Fultz, L. M., Gailans, S., Hashemi, M., Haymaker, J., Helmers, M. J., Jordan, N., Kaspar, T. C., Ketterings, Q. M., Kladivko, E., Kravchenko, A., Law, E. P., Lazaro, L., Leon, R. G., Liebert, J., Lindquist, J., Loria, K., Mcvane, J. M., Miller, J. O., Mulvaney, M. J., Nkongolo, N. V., Norsworthy, J. K., Parajuli, B., Pelzer, C., Peterson, C., Poffenbarger, H., Poudel, P., Reiter, M. S., Ruark, M., Ryan, M. R., Samuelson, S., Sawyer, J. E., Seehaver, S., Shergill, L. S., Upadhyaya, Y. R., Vangessel, M., Waggoner, A. L., Wallace, J. M., Wells, S., White, C., Wolters, B., Woodley, A., Ye, R. Z., Youngerman, E., Needelman, B. A., & Mirsky, S. B. (2024). US cereal rye winter cover crop growth database. Scientific Data, 11(1), Article 200. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-024-02996-9
19. Igboke, O., Bortolon, E.S.O., Asworth, A. J., Tallaksen, J., Picasso, V.D., and Berti, M.T. 2024. Perennial forage systems enhance ecosystem quality variables compared with annual forage systems, Sustainability 16, 10160, https://doi.org/10.3390/su162310160
20. Jain, K., John, R., Torbick, N., Kolluru, V., Saraf, S., Chandel, A., Henebry, G. M., & Jarchow, M. (2024). Monitoring the spatial distribution of cover crops and tillage practices using machine learning and environmental drivers across eastern South Dakota. Environmental Management, 74(4), 742–756. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-024-02021-0
21. Johnson, W. G., L. B. Piveta, W. Petersen, S. D. Armstrong, & B. Young (2024). Impact of Cover Crop Termination Timing and Herbicide Diversity on Cover Crop Biomass and Weed Control in No-Till Corn (Accepted in Weed Technology)
22. Johnson, F.E., R. Roth, M. D. Ruffatti & S. D. Armstrong. (2024) Cover crop impacts on nitrogen losses and environmental damage cost, Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2023.108859.
23. Kannberg, S., Lindsey, A. J., Chiavegato, M. B., & Lindsey, L. E. (2024). Effect of ultra-early, early, and normal soybean planting dates and rye cover crop on soybean grain yield. Agronomy Journal, 116, 1321–1330. https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.21550
24. Kc, R., & Snapp, S. (2024). Correction: Cover crop quality and quantity influences organic corn performance more than soil context. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems, 129(2), 203. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-024-10372-7/
25. Krupek, F. S., Kaiser, M., Redfearn, D., & Basche, A. (2024). Potential gains in soil carbon and nitrogen as a result of systems perenniality: Insights from on-farm experiments and soil organic matter fractions. Soil Use and Management, 40, e13064. https://doi.org/10.1111/sum.13064
26. Kundert J, Rakkar M, Gutknecht J, Jungers J. Mechanical termination of a perennial grain crop minimally impacts soil structure, carbon and carbon dioxide emissions. J Sustain Agric Environ. 2024; 3: 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1002/sae2.12094
27. Lamichhane, J.R., Barbetti, M., Chilvers, M.I., Pandey, A.K., Steinberg, C. 2024. Exploiting root exudates to manage soil-borne disease complexes in a changing climate. Trends in Microbiology 32:27-37 [2279]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tim.2023.07.011
28. McCoy, A., Jacobs, J., Chilvers, M.I. 2024. Host range characterization of Phytophthora sansomeana across corn, soybean, wheat, winter cereal rye, dry bean and oats, and an in vitro assessment of seed treatment sensitivity. Plant Disease https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-11-23-2303-RE
29. Maia, L.O.R., L.B. Piveta, W.G.Johnson. 2024. Residual Herbicide in Cover Cropping Systems. Agriculture 2024, 14(11), 2089; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14112089
30. Mohammed, Y. A., Gesch, R. W., Wells, S., Heller, N. J., Lindsey, A. J., Hard, A. W., & Phippen, W. B. (2024). Economic evaluation of corn relative maturity hybrids in corn–pennycress–soybean rotations. Agronomy Journal, 116, 3171–3180. https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.21691
31. Nierman, J. L., Murphy, S. M., Leuenberger, W., Davis, A. G., Cox, J. J., & Springer, M. T. (2024). Spatially explicit models reveal rodents rapidly colonize soybean fields regardless of pre-planting chemical treatment timing for cover crop removal. Crop Protection, 181, Article 106700. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cropro.2024.106700
32. Nunes J, Wallace J, Arneson N, et al. Planting soybean green: how cereal rye biomass and preemergence herbicides impact Amaranthus spp. management and soybean yield. Weed Science. 2024;72(5):615-629. doi:10.1017/wsc.2024.47
33. Pires, C. B., Krupek, F. S., Carmona, G. I., Ortez, O. A., Thompson, L., Quinn, D. J., Reis, A. F. B., Werle, R., Kovács, P., Singh, M. P., Hutchinson, J. M. S., Ruiz Diaz, D., Rice, C. W., & Ciampitti, I. A. (2024). Perspective of US farmers on collaborative on-farm agronomic research. Agronomy Journal, 116, 1590–1602. https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.21560
34. Robertson, G.P, B. Wilke, T. Ulbrich, N. Haddad, S.K. Hamilton, D.G. Baas, J. Blesh, T.J. Boring, L. Campbell, K.A. Cassida, J. Doll, T. Guo, M. Hasenick, S. Marquart-Pyatt, M.P. Singh, and J. Stegink. The Kellogg Biological Station Long-Term Agroecosystem Research Site (KBS LTAR). Envir. Qual. http://doi.org/10.1002/jeq2.20638/
35. Rockson, P.E., D.S. Andersen, M.A. Licht, D.R. Raman. 2024 The Design and Testing of a Field Operations Visualizer. AgriEngineering 6 (4), 4620-4638. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriengineering6040264
36. Rogovska, N., Kovar, J. L., Malone, R., O'Brien, P.L., Emmett, B., & Ruis, S. J. (2024). Impact of tillage, cover crop, and in situ bioreactors on nutrient loss from an artificially drained Midwestern Mollisol. Journal of Environmental Quality, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1002/jeq2.20668
37. Seavers, R., and D.J. Quinn. 2024 submitted. Field-scale evaluation of corn response to nitrogen fertilizer application timing following a rye cover crop. Agron. J. In-review.
38. Stephens, T., Blanco‐Canqui, H., Knezevic, S.Z., Rees, J., Kohler‐Cole, K. and Jhala, A.J., 2024. Integrating fall‐planted cereal rye cover crop with herbicides for reducing Palmer amaranth seed production in soybean under planting green conditions. Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment, 7(2), p.e20507.
39. Tarrant, A. R., Brainard, D. C., Tiemann, L. K., & Hayden, Z. D. (2024). Weed control, soil health, and yield tradeoffs of between-bed management strategies in organic plasticulture vegetable production. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 8, Article 1276415. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2024.1276415
40. Vaughn, K., O. Adeyemi, O. R. Zandvakili, M. L. Battaglia, S. Babaei, J. Nair, S. Still, G. Burkett, and A. Sadeghpour. "Nitrogen rate and harvesting time based on growing degree days influenced winter cereal rye morphological traits, forage yield, quality, and farm profit in poorly drained Alfisols." Grass and Forage Science79, no. 2 (2024): 239-253.