When evaluating cover crops, many conversations begin with one question: Are they profitable? In episode 83 of the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Podcast, three farmers from across Illinois, Adam Dahmer, Brent Fowler, and Greg Thoren, share how years of experience with cover crops and no-till have shaped their answer.
Drawing from operations across the state, the panel explains why focusing on profit per acre and long-term soil health often provides a more complete measure of success than yield alone. They discuss how cover crop costs can be offset through reduced tillage, lower input expenses, financial incentive programs, and improved operational efficiency. The conversation also explores how healthier soil structure increases water infiltration and water-holding capacity over time, helping build more resilient cropping systems while protecting one of a farm's most valuable assets, its soil.
Look beyond the cost of cover crop seed
Southern Illinois farmer Adam Dahmer challenged producers to think differently about the cost of adopting cover crops.
He noted that many farmers carefully calculate the cost of cover crop seed but never determine what they spend on tillage. In many cases, reducing or eliminating tillage can offset much or all of the cost of establishing cover crops.
Instead of asking, "What do cover crops cost?" consider asking:
- What does each tillage pass cost per acre?
- Could reducing tillage lower fuel, labor, and equipment expenses?
- How do conservation practices affect profitability over multiple years?
Dahmer also shared that on farms with similar soil types and management histories, he has observed an average four-bushel-per-acre increase in corn yields after integrating no-till and cover crops into his system.
Thoren shared that his mantra is yield doesn’t pay the bills; it’s profit per acre. He allocates the cost of his cover crop seed from his annual fertilizer budget because cover crop management has reduced his fertilizer needs. Profitability increases when you can decrease your input costs while maintaining yields. Thoren notes that there are many benefits to cover crops that make them more profitable in the long run than a conventional system.
Source : illinois.edu