Ontario Grain Farmer August 2022

Benefits to farmers Top challenges farmers face Common cover crops The majority of respondents who grew cover crops in 2020 were as follows: Of farms that did not grow a cover crop Farmer-identified challenges to growing cover crops How to help encourage growth of cover crop usage * A total of 520 farms that grew cover crops in 2020 took part in the project. The project also heard from 211 farms that did not grow a cover crop in 2020. All stats are from the 2020 Ontario Cover Crop Feedback Report which can be found at https://gfo.ca/agronomy/soil-leadership/ ** A special thank you to Dr. Yvonne Lawley and Callum Morrison from the University of Manitoba for conducting the survey and creating the report. 2020 Ontario Cover Crop Feedback Report • Poor cover crop establishment (30%) • The late harvest of a cash crop preventing cover crop planting (27%) • Additional costs associated with growing a cover crop (25%) Top 3 benefits • Improved soil health • Observing less erosion • Increased soil organic matter 91% 77% have observed benefits from growing cover crops reported benefits within three years of adopting cover crops 70%of farms that grew cover crops in 2020 grew them on up to 39% of their land 60%of farms that grew a cover crop did so following winter wheat. • Additional costs (41%) • Lack of equipment (36%) • Late harvest of cash crops preventing cover crop planting (29%) • Not knowing where to start (24%) • Shortness of the growing season (23%) 63% Oats Fall Rye Radish Red Clover 41% 39% 31% 52%had not grown a cover crop before but wanted to try in the future 9%had never grown but did not want to try 39%had grown a cover crop in a previous year, but not in 2020 53% 43% 40% 36% 29% 26% Tax credits for planting cover crops Payments for storing carbon Technical assistance Payments from conservation programs Greater access to information on cover crop agronomy More research specific to local areas * Cover crops can be used alone or in mixes

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