While some important progress was made in the recent Farm Bill regarding soil health and cover crop management, a recent article detailed an important omission that will still impact many farmers’ wallets.

With soils drying up and yields declining, Jose Robles of Modesto, Calif., turned to cover crops, compost and hedgerows to stem the losses, and it’s paying dividends so far.

The NRCS Cover Crop Chart includes information on 66 crop species that may be planted individually or in cocktail mixes, with information on growth cycle, relative water use, plant architecture, seeding depth, forage quality, pollination characteristics, and nutrient cycling are included for most crop species. Using the chart as a guide, users can select individual crop species by clicking on the name which will direct them to additional information about the selected crop. Icons within each crop page return the user to the chart, thereby easily allowing comparisons of different crops.