Last Thursday, the American Soybean Association and other agricultural and conservation organizations commented on the Natural Resources Conservation Services’ (NRCS) proposed revisions to the Cover Crop Conservation Practice Standard code 340. NRCS is proposing to stop allowing mechanical harvesting of a cover crop for forage while still allowing for grazing without providing any conservation-based reason for this change.
In the comments, the groups argue that NRCS no longer allowing mechanical harvesting of cover crops will slow cover crop adoption, cause grower confusion over the connection between cover crops and crop insurance, increase costs for growers and lead to confusion over what is considered a cover crop. Cover crops are a critical working lands conservation practice, and significant progress has been made in recent years in cover crop adoption. The comments highlighted the groups concern that NRCS’ proposed change will slow that momentum.
