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Recently
the Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
and Risk Management Agency (RMA) worked together to develop consistent, simple
and a flexible policy for cover crop practices.
The
termination and reporting guidelines were updated for cover crops.
Termination:
The
cover crop termination guidelines provide the timeline for terminating cover
crops, are based on zones and apply to non-irrigated cropland. To view the
zones and additional guidelines visit https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/landuse/crops/
and click “Cover Crop Termination Guidelines.”
Reporting:
The
intended use of cover only will be used to report cover crops. This includes
crops that were terminated by tillage and reported with an intended use code of
green manure. An FSA policy change will allow cover crops to be hayed and
grazed. Program eligibility for the cover crop that is being hayed or grazed
will be determined by each specific program.
If
the crop reported as cover only is harvested for any use other than forage or
grazing and is not terminated properly, then that crop will no longer be
considered a cover crop.
Crops
reported with an intended use of cover only will not count toward the total
cropland on the farm. In these situations a subsequent crop will be reported to
account for all cropland on the farm.
Cover
crops include grasses, legumes, and forbs, for seasonal cover and other conservation
purposes. Cover crops are primarily used for erosion control, soil health
Improvement, and water quality improvement. The cover crop may be terminated by
natural causes, such as frost, or intentionally terminated through chemical
application, crimping, rolling, tillage or cutting. A cover crop managed and
terminated according to NRCS Cover Crop Termination Guidelines is not considered
a crop for crop insurance purposes.
Cover
crops can be planted: with no subsequent crop planted, before a subsequent crop,
after prevented planting acreage, after a planted crop, or into a standing
crop.
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