From 2017 to 2021, NCAT and its major partner, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTGRV), studied the effectiveness and practicality of cover crops and reduced tillage in subtropical areas, focusing on the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas: an area with more than 3,000 Hispanic farm operators. The Subtropical Soil Health Initiative conducted on-farm trials to identify locally appropriate cover crops and management practices, develop recommendations, and provide technical assistance to area farms. Below are resources for using cover crops in subtropical areas.
This work was supported by the Conservation Innovation Grants program at USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, agreement #69-3A75-17-281.
These NRCS guidance documents are updated regularly. For the newest versions, check the NRCS Field Office Technical Guide for your state. Look in Section 4 (“Practice Standards and Supporting Documents”), subsection “Conservation Practice Standards & Support Documents,” and sub-subsections such as “Cover Crop (340)” and “Residue and Tillage Management, Reduced Till (345).”
Photo: NCAT
Photo: NCAT
Photo: Lindsey Richards
Photo: NCAT
Photo: NCAT
Photo: Stephanie Kasper
Photo: NCAT
Photo: Matt Kutugata
Photo: Lindsey Richards
Photo: Lindsey Richards