Soil & Water Conservation District

Cover Crops

cover crop

Cover crops are crops grown between the regular crops like corn, soybean and wheat. Examples of cover crops are annual rye grass, crimson clover, oats, oil-seed radishes, and cereal rye. Cover crops are grown for a variety of reasons:

  • Reducing soil compaction
  • Covering the soil to protect it from erosion by wind and water
  • Improving soil structure
  • Increasing soil organic matter
  • Fixing nitrogen
  • Scavenging nitrogen from the soil that would otherwise be lost to percolation, runoff or volatilization
  • Producing forage or pasture

Visit Conservation Cropping Systems Initiative web site for more information and web links.

Under "Topics of Interest" (to the left) click on "Agriculture" for more ag related resources.

Contact Us

Soil & Water Conservation District
10729 Randall Ave
Aurora, IN 47001
Get Directions

  • Phone: (812) 926-2406 x 3
  • Fax: (855) 391-1912
  • Staff Directory
  • Office Hours:
    Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:00pm
    Due to the nature of the work performed by the SWCD staff, occasionally there are times when no one will be in the office.
    Please call before making a special trip to the office.

In this Department

Topics of Interest