Submitted to: Agricultural & Environmental Letters
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/22/2023
Publication Date: 8/11/2023
Citation: Chami, B., Niles, M.T., Parry, S., Mirsky, S.B., Ackroyd, V.J., Ryan, M.R. 2023. Incentive programs promote cover crop adoption. Agricultural and Environmental Letters. 8(2): Article e20114. https://doi.org/10.1002/ael2.20114.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ael2.20114

Interpretive Summary: Cover crops are non-cash crops that are planted when the ground would otherwise be bare to provide environmental benefits (such as reduced soil erosion), economic benefits (such as decreased need for synthetic fertilizer), and social benefits (such as greener landscapes that ultimately contribute to the viability of rural life). State and federal programs exist to financially incentivize the use of cover crops in the US. We surveyed participants and non-participants in six cover crop incentive programs in Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, and Vermont who have used cover crops to 1) characterize farmers who have participated in programs, 2) assess the effects of programs on cover crop adoption, and 3) identify opportunities for incentive program improvement. Farmers who participated in incentive programs differed from non-participants in their perspectives about incentive programs, challenges they faced using cover crops, and reasons for cover crop use. Participation in incentive programs roughly doubled the number of acres planted to cover crops. Overall, participants were satisfied with cover crop incentive programs. This work provided insight into farmer involvement with cover crop incentive programs and documented that they encourage greater use of cover crops in the landscape.

Technical Abstract: Farmers are increasingly planting cover crops to improve soil health and provide other ecosystem services. Cover crop incentive programs in Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, and Vermont were compared and farmers using cover crops were surveyed (n = 327) to characterize program participants and assess the effects of programs on cover crop adoption. Farmers who participated in incentive programs differed from non-participants in their perspectives about incentive programs, challenges they faced using cover crops, and reasons for cover crop use. Incentive programs doubled mean cover crop use from 50.7 prior to program participation to 101.0 ha during participation. Furthermore, among participants who no longer were enrolled in an incentive program, cover crop use on average remained 37.2% greater than before enrollment. Results highlight the role of incentive programs in facilitating adoption and provide insights for increasing program participant satisfaction, expanding participation to different farmers, and increasing overall incentive program impact.