Olds College Centre for Innovation (OCCI) is collaborating with Farm Credit Canada (FCC) on a review of research literature that will focus on impacts to soil health due to cover cropping practices. This research project aims to help producers and industry to better understand the impacts, challenges and expectations associated with cover cropping, with a key focus on soil quality. The project was launched and will end in 2025.
Topics to be explored will include:
- Introducing cover crops (the strategic role of cover crops in sustainable farm management; choosing the right cover crop species; and effective strategies for cover crop management).
- The impact of cover cropping on soil organic health (cover cropping and soil organic matter; cover cropping and soil nutrient dynamics; cover cropping and microbiology and biodiversity; and cover cropping and water dynamics).
- Opportunities for cover cropping (climate resiliency; economic impacts).
- Challenges and limitations of cover cropping (limitations and tradeoffs of cover cropping systems; economic and practical barriers to cover crop adoption).
Goals
- Compile and analyze current research on cover cropping while highlighting cover cropping strategies that impact soil health and addressing potential challenges relevant to prairies.
- Identify gaps in existing literature to guide future studies and field trials.
