Cover Crops for California Farms

A cover crop can be any non-cash crop grown in addition to the primary cash crop. Cover crops offer many potential benefits. There are also management implications to consider when deciding whether to use cover crops, and identifying which crop or mixture of crops to plant. Impact of cover crops on yield depends on many factors, including water availability, initial soil quality, cover crop type or mixture, and timing of cover crop operations.

Learn more about incorporating cover crops into your farming operations using the resources on this website.

Find additional information on methods to increase biodiversity and ecosystem health in agricultural systems on the UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program website.

This website was funded in part by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award number G158-21-W7906 through the Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program, under project number RGR20-006. USDA is an equal opportunity employer and service provider. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed on this website are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.