CTIC's far-reaching Economic, Agronomic and Environmental Benefits of Cover Crops project - commonly called "Let's Do The Math on Cover Crops" - is in the final stage of pulling together data on the impact of cover crops on honey bee habitat. With data from The Ohio State University, CTIC will soon provide insight into cost-effective opportunities to provide pollinator forage on agricultural landscapes. 

 

In the meantime, the project's outreach effort got a huge boost this season from long-time CTIC partners at Penton/Farm Progress. Kurt Lawson, editor in chief of Corn and Soybean Digest, worked with our team to source several articles on cooperators in the program. Among the CTIC-penned articles that ran in this top publication were: This April cover story on cover croppers John and Dean Werries of Chapin, Illinois.  Insight from Purdue's Eileen Kladivko on nitrogen cycling in cover crops.  Reflections from Adam Perry of northwest Ohio on cutting costs by adopting cover crops.  Thoughts from farmers and their landlords on cover crops on rented land.    The "Let's Do The Math" project has also provided valuable insight into researching multi-variate topics, notes project manager Mike Smith at CTIC.

Data from the “Let’s Do The Math On Cover Crops” project is providing insight into providing pollinator forage on agricultural landscapes.

 

"What we learned through this project has already been put to use," Smith says. "Purdue's Ag Economics Department developed an improved data collection framework intended to increase the accuracy of ongoing research into cover crop economics. The experience also enabled CTIC to serve as a consultant for the design and management of the Honey Bee Health Coalition's Bee Integrated Demonstration Project."