Overall, we can draw several key conclusions: (1) cover crop
costs and benefits vary by the selected cover crop, (2) the use of
a cover crop allows stover removal to sustainably increase by
about 4.0 metric tons/ha, and (3) the increase in stover removal,
along with increases in stover price, changes farm acreage allocations,
increases the total amount of stover available, and increases
farm profit. However, based on farmer interviews, and the results
for cover crop benefits when the value of added N is eliminated
(Table 6), the benefits of cover crops perceived by farmers may
be lower than those estimated in this analysis.