It’s been truly amazing to watch the march of technology in agriculture, as cutting-edge concepts that seemed like a crazy ideas at first become valuable practices that save labor and improve performance and profitability. 

More than a decade ago, someone at the National No-Tillage Conference mentioned the idea of planting corn or soybeans into a living cover crop seemed crazy. How would you get the seed through the residue and established? Won’t the cover crops compete with the cash crop? Isn’t no-tilling hard enough without doing this? 

It’s only natural to look at new practices and be concerned about how it’s going to work. But the most adventurous or stubborn of no-tillers living on the bleeding on the edge found a way, and agriculture is better for it. 

In the recently completed 17th annual No-Till Farmer Operational Benchmark Study, 59% of growers planted a portion of their crops into green cover crops. This was an increase from 55% in 2023, but down from 71% in 2022. Some 79% of no-tillers planted green with soybeans, and 62% for corn.

When managed properly, planting green is a force multiplier on a farm. With enough biomass it can help control weeds. In wetter climates it can help soak up moisture and help get fields ready to plant. Letting cover crops live longer into the spring also extends the available benefits.

In the pages of this special report, we lay out what the latest research says about the benefits of planting green. We share details from experienced no-tillers on how they make the system work on their farm and provide some advice from a cover crop expert on the best covers to consider with this system. We also share the latest equipment innovations that can make the task of getting cover crops established easier as a foundation for planting green on your farm.  

We hope you enjoy all the practice information in this report as you look for ways to make your no-till operation more efficient and effective.