Cover Crops on Livestock Operations: Potential for Expansion in the United States

Maria Bowman, Maroua Afi, Aubree Beenken, Amy Boline, Mary Drewnoski, Fernanda Souza Krupek, Jay Parsons, Daren Redfearn, Steven Wallander and Christine Whitt

No 342471, Administrative Publications from United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service

Abstract: Cover crops can provide environmental benefits, and their use is increasing across the United States. Cover crops can also be costly to implement. The literature suggests that for livestock operations, grazing or harvesting cover crops for forage can be profitable due to the forage benefit. However, a new analysis of Federal data shows that around 14 percent of cattle operations with cropland grew cover crops in 2017. Certain types of cattle operations are more likely to report cover crop use. Dairy and feedlot operations are more than twice as likely to use cover crops as cattle operations overall (33 percent of dairy and 27 percent of feedlot operations), and many operations with cover crops report grazing them or harvesting them for forage. In 2021, 72 percent of dairy operations and 89 percent of cow-calf operations with cover crops reported harvesting or grazing at least some cover crop acreage, which suggests the forage value of cover crops may be a driver of adoption on those operations. Finally, this report discusses the potential for integrating cover crops and livestock systems in the United States (as well as barriers) and presents several research opportunities that could address knowledge gaps.

Keywords: Agricultural and Food Policy; Crop Production/Industries; Land Economics/Use; Livestock Production/Industries; Production Economics; Resource/Energy Economics and Policy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 42
Date: 2024-05
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-agr and nep-env
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ags:uersap:342471

DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.342471

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