By Laura Brenner
When innovative farmers began experimenting with cover crop "cocktails," Penn State researchers set out to study their benefits. More than a decade later, the data show that carefully balanced mixtures can deliver greater stability and reveal ecological interactions that would not have been apparent in shorter studies. The project's lasting impact extends beyond the field, shaping both future farming practices and future scientists.
For over a decade, the Cover Crop Cocktails experiment at Penn State has followed the lead of innovative organic farmers who began testing cover crop mixtures on their own. Researchers sought quantitative data to help farmers determine the right mix of cover crops based on their goals. Nearly 15 years later, the findings include robust datasets that answer the original hypothesis, as well as exposing some exciting trends only possible by looking back on these rare, long-term experiments.
One experiment to serve many roles
In 2012, researchers began a multi-species cover crop experiment in response to feedback from farmers. Cover crops were increasingly popular among organic farmers, but multi-species mixtures were only being field-tested among the most innovative, risk-tolerant farmers. The experiment’s lead, Jason Kaye, Ph.D., is an ecosystem ecologist and soil biogeochemist. Kaye’s analytical mind wanted to develop a scientific basis for farmers to make decisions around cover crop mixtures.
At the start, Kaye had little idea the experiment would continue for more than a decade. Research grants come in two- and three-year stints, but the experimental site has remained a hotbed of agronomic research throughout.
Click here to see more...