In 2023, the Conservation Technology Innovation Center (CTIC) released results from its annual National Cover Crop Survey. The 83-page report details answers to many questions regarding cover crops, no-till and other conservation ag practices. One question dove deeper into the connections between cover crop use and no-till, exploring common anecdotal reports that many no-tillers use cover crops to mitigate yield dips associated with the early years of no-till. 

A total of 154 growers (roughly 70%) said cover crops made the transition to no-till easier, while 45 growers (roughly 20%) answered that cover crops neither helped nor harmed their ability to implement no-till on their farm operation. Only 20 growers (roughly 10%) felt that cover crops made it more difficult for them to transition to no-till. In all, 219 respondents weighed in on whether or not cover crops made it easier to transition to no-till.

 No-Till, Cover Crops Could Help Combat Nutrient Runoff Due to Extreme Rainfall