Despite widespread support from voters, corporations, and policymakers for conservation farming, a new survey shows many farmers are abandoning practices such as cover crops and no-till after trying them for a short time.
The study found that a majority of producers who planted cover crops or used no-till methods — both designed to reduce erosion, improve soil health, and limit nutrient runoff — discontinued those practices within a year.
In particular, most farmers who used cover crops one season had stopped using them by the next.