It’s important to remember two things about farmers’ cover crop adoption rates. First, those adoption rates have ebbs and flows. Second, sometimes conservation practices aren’t continued for many reasons. Data from the last five years of Ag Economy Barometer Surveys were used to determine trends in cover crops. From 2021 to 2025, the percentage of Ag Economy Barometer survey respondents reporting cover crops ranged from 52 to 57 percent, and averaged 53 percent in September 2025. Another 21 percent of the September 2025 respondents reported planting cover crops in the past, but no longer use them in their operations. In September 2025, the average number of years respondents have planted cover crops was 10.5. However, the distribution is skewed a bit, as 72 percent of the respondents said they have planted cover crops for ten years or less. Another 26 percent of the September respondents said they’ve never planted cover crops.
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