Cover crops and no-tillage reduce crop production costs and soil loss, compensating for lack of short-term soil quality improvement in a maize and soybean production system

Conservation agriculture has been marketed to producers as a sustainable way increase soil productivity and buffer the effects of anticipated fluctuations in both climate price fuel fertilizer. Despite US Farm Bill financial incentives promoting use conservation practices such no-tillage cover crops among producers, widescale adoption remains low. Implementing crop may take years consistent management show measurable quality improvement. Conversely, costs associated with planting must be incurred immediately before accrual any benefits. Current research largely focused on benefits without considering short-term implementation for comparing their current production systems they adopt. To help fill this knowledge gap, properties, cash yield, annual were evaluated three-year maize /soybean study system conventional Mississippi from 2016 2018. The included frequent tillage control winter weeds residual herbicide (conv. till + bare). We compared five different levels systems, including (no-till cover). found lack improvement properties organic matter or yield over period. economic substituting expensive inputs much greater than modest property improvements observed 2018 crops. Though yields varied, cost cover) was 43% less ($29.67 per Mg conv. bare $17.04 no-till system), highlighting incentive switch agriculture. greatest resource benefit reduction estimated loss, mean loss decreased by 86% (3.5–25.1 t ha-1). These results demonstrate that potential decrease overall while decreasing risk accelerated erosion during expected weather extremes change, potentially making farming operations agroecosystems more resilient.