Cover crops provide habitat and food to various above and below-ground organisms. When fields are left fallow, these organisms can lack adequate habitat and food sources to maintain their populations, burdening the field's ecosystem. Enhanced biodiversity can improve a field's function and resiliency to shock and stressful events.
Check out the Soil Health section here or the Soil Health Management site to learn more about how cover crops can enhance microbial biodiversity. This page will focus on how cover crops can influence pollinators and predatory insects and how they benefit farmers.Pollinators
Pollinators provide various ecosystem benefits and are essential for producing fruit and vegetables. However, several agricultural practices, such as habitat destruction and chemical toxicity, can threaten native pollinators.Cover crops are one of many practices farmers can use to help restore native pollinator populations. Flowering cover crops can help pollinators meet their food requirements. Even non-flowering cover crops can provide an impact by providing additional nesting sites for native pollinator species.Common Cover Crop Species for Pollinators
- Buckwheat
- Clovers
- Sunflower
- Vetches
- Sunn Hemp
Predatory Insects
Predatory insects can feed on pests that consume and harm cash crops. Some studies have shown cover crops can provide habitat for these predatory insects, increase their abundance and, in return, reduce pest populations and economic damages.Farmers must understand that cover crops can also provide habitat to undesirable pests. Whether cover crops promote beneficial or harmful insects will depend on various factors. Farmers need to monitor and scout their cover crops as they approach the next planting season to determine how they impact insect populations. Entomology Extension Specialist Dr. Dominic Reisig discusses the importance of scouting a cover crop.
As stated in the video, it is recommended to terminate a cover crop 3 to 4 weeks prior to planting of the next cash crop if there are concerns about pest populations.
References
- Tillman, G., Schomberg, H. H., Phatak, S. C., Mullinix, B. G., Lachnicht, S. L., Timper, P., & Olson, D. G. (2004). Influence of cover crops on insect pests and predators in conservation tillage cotton. Journal of Economic Entomology, 97(4), 1217–1232.
