The price of artificial or inorganic fertilizers has soared, prompting farmers to explore alternatives like natural fertilizers to sustain their crop yields. The rising popularity of cover cropping is seen as a cost-effective solution to synthetic fertilizers and a sustainable approach to ensuring long-term farm viability.

According to the World Bank, inorganic fertilizer prices experienced an 80 percent increase in 2021, followed by an additional 30 percent rise from January to April 2022. Various factors contributed to these historic price levels, including production cuts due to surging energy prices, sanctions, and export restrictions resulting from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as well as the growing demand accompanying the expansion of commodity crop acreage.

Despite these price hikes, synthetic fertilizers continue to dominate due to industry influence. Roland Bunch, Founder and CEO of Better Soils, Better Lives, points out that fertilizer companies support a significant portion of agricultural experimentation in the United States and provide funding for agricultural companies in the developing world.

However, synthetic fertilizers pose significant environmental risks, including soil degradation, pollution, and hazardous effects on climate change. The use of synthetic fertilizers prevents plants from expanding their roots, hindering their interaction with vital microorganisms that enhance soil health, fertility, and structure, as detailed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Moreover, excessive nitrogen and phosphorus from fertilizer runoff can contaminate waterways, leading to algal growth and dead zones. The production of nitrogen fertilizer alone consumes more than half of all commercial agricultural energy and accounts for 5 percent of the global natural gas supply.

While synthetic fertilizers remain popular, many farmers have turned to manure as an alternative. Farmers in the United States have been seeking out manure to compensate for fertilizer shortages. Manure not only provides necessary nutrients for plant growth but also increases organic matter in the soil, stimulating beneficial microbes.

Like synthetic fertilizers, manure can have environmental drawbacks if improperly managed. High transportation costs and limited storage and handling technologies currently hinder manure from effectively replacing artificial fertilizers.

Cover crops offer another solution. They help conserve soil, retain nutrients for subsequent cash crops, and promote improved soil health, yielding long-term benefits for farmers. Cover crops have the potential to increase cash crop yields, mitigate the effects of drought, and save farmers up to $40 per acre in costs for corn and soybeans.

Between 2012 and 2017, there was a 50 percent increase in cover crop planting reported by U.S. farmers, according to the USDA Economic Research Service (ERS). In 2018, the USDA allocated $155 million towards cover crops on approximately 2 million acres, and state-level incentive programs supported the practice on an additional 1 million acres.

Currently, there are over 150 different cover crop systems being used worldwide, but most organizations lack awareness of which systems would work best in their respective regions. Closing this information gap and providing effective training to farmers is crucial for widespread adoption. Despite challenges, cover crops have shown promising results and are highly regarded by those who have implemented them. The popularity and adoption of cover crops in various countries have surpassed other agricultural practices.