Cover Crops in Drier Regions: Participate in Our Survey

By Scout Nelson

Kansas State University (KSU), in collaboration with the Colorado Conservation Tillage Association (CCTA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Kansas Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), is conducting a survey aimed at understanding how agricultural producers in the semi-arid Great Plains region view the integration of cover crops into their farming systems.

While cover crop surveys have been conducted across the country, most of the data collected comes from regions with higher rainfall or irrigation. As a result, the semi-arid Great Plains, including parts of Kansas, Nebraska, and Colorado, has not been well-represented in these studies. This region-specific survey aims to address that gap and gather insights relevant to farming in water-limited environments, where cover crops are increasingly being adopted as a conservation practice.

The survey focuses on key aspects of cover crop use in dryland farming, including management practices, resource challenges, and whether or not producers are incorporating cover crops into their operations. It also explores the reasons behind their decisions, the benefits and limitations of cover crop use, and the role of USDA programs in supporting such practices. At the end of the survey, participants will have the option to participate in a follow-up interview for a deeper exploration of the topic.

The information gathered from this survey and potential follow-up interviews will be used to develop extension publications with practical guidelines on cover cropping in semi-arid regions. Additionally, the results will help shape recommendations for USDA farm and conservation programs, ensuring they align more closely with the farming practices that producers in this region are adopting to improve soil health.

Producers from the semi-arid Great Plains region, whether they have experience with cover crops or not, are encouraged to participate in this survey. The data collected will be kept confidential and used exclusively for this research initiative. To access the survey, producers can follow one of the three available methods provided by KSU, CCTA, and Kansas NRCS.

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