Cover Crops Help Reduce Soil Carbon Loss to Erosion

A study by Iowa State University ecologist Wenjuan Huang found that cover crops planted in fields between cash crops are an effective way to reduce soil carbon loss to erosion. The research was published in Global Change Biology. Huang explains that previous cover crop research has looked only at the role cover crops play in adding carbon to soil through their roots and biomass. In contrast, this study investigated specifically how cover crops reduce soil carbon erosion. Researchers found that cover crops were especially effective at preventing soil carbon erosion on steeper slopes. Using a model to predict the impact of planting cover crops globally, the team estimates this would reduce soil carbon erosion by an average of 25% worldwide.
Related ATTRA publication: Overview of Cover Crops and Green Manures