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Cover crops for sustainable soil management

Code: 9781835451205
Publication Date: 21/04/2026
Extent: 500 pages
Series No: 176

Edited by: Professor Sjoerd W. Duiker, Penn State University, USA and Dr Andy Clark, formerly University of Maryland and USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE), USA

Description

There is a growing body of research on cover crops as a key tool in regenerative agriculture, including their multifunctional role in making agricultural systems more resilient in the face of climate change.

Cover crops for sustainable soil management provides a comprehensive review of the varied roles of cover crops in promoting soil health, how best to deploy them, as well as optimising use of different classes of cover crops in promoting soil health. The book also discusses the use of different classes of cover crops, including cool and warm season leguminous and gramineous cover crops, as well as non-leguminous broadleaf cover crops.

Key Features

  • Provides a comprehensive overview of the main types of cover crop species, including leguminous, gramineous and non-leguminous broadleaf cover crops
  • Reviews the role of cover crops in helping to promote soil health and deliver key ecosystem services
  • Reviews recent developments in the management of cover crops

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Table of Contents

Part 1 Understanding the role of cover crops

  • 1.The role of cover crops in optimising nutrient cycles: Yajun Peng, University of Guelph, Canada;
  • 2.The role of cover crops in improving soil biological health: Michelle Wander, University of Illinois, USA;
  • 3.The role of cover crops in improving biodiversity: Deirdre Prischmann-Voldseth, North Dakota State University, USA;
  • 4.The role of cover crops in pest and disease control: Nic Irvin, University of California-Riverside, USA;
  • 5.The role of cover crops in weed control: John Wallace, Penn State University, USA;
  • 6.The role of cover crops in forage production: Heather Darby, University of Vermont, USA;
  • 7.Assessing the effects of cover crops on cash crop yields: Inderjot Chahal, University of Guelph, Canada;

Part 2 Managing cover crops

  • 8.Cover crop decision support tools: Victoria Ackroyd, USDA-ARS, USA;
  • 9.Cover crop establishment: Andy Clark, formerly University of Maryland and USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE), USA; and Sjoerd W. Duiker, Penn State University, USA;
  • 10.Key challenges in terminating cover crops: Alyssa Essman, Ohio State University, USA;

Part 3 Cover crop species

  • 11.Cool season leguminous cover crops: Masoud Hashemi, University of Massachusetts, USA;
  • 12.Warm season leguminous cover crops: Andrew Price, USDA-ARS, USA;
  • 13.Cool season gramineous cover crops: Humberto Blanco, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA;
  • 14.Warm season gramineous cover crops: Matt Ryan, Cornell University, USA;
  • 15.Non-leguminous broadleaf cover crops: Christina Curell, Michigan State University, USA;

Part 4 The future of cover crops

  • 16.Strategies to increase cover crop adoption: Ken Staver, University of Maryland, USA;
  • 17.The future of cover crops: opportunities and challenges: Andy Clark, formerly University of Maryland and USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE), USA; and Sjoerd W. Duiker, Penn State University, USA;
About the Editor(s)

Dr Sjoerd W. Duiker is Professor of Soil Management and Applied Soil Physics at Penn State University, USA. He has made significant contributions to both research and extension in developing more sustainable soil management practices in such areas as no-till systems, the use of cover crops, mulches and more diverse crop rotations. He is a member of the Governing Board of the Northeast Cover Crops Council which brings together universities, farmers, government agencies and others to optimise cover crop use in the north-eastern states of the USA.

Dr Andy Clark recently retired as National Communications Director of the USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Program. The SARE Program operates under cooperative agreements between the University of Maryland, USA and the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Dr Clark led the communications arm of the SARE Program that was instrumental in developing and disseminating sustainable crop and livestock management practices in the United States. As Communications Director, Dr Clark oversaw the development of more than 40 publications, including editing the Third Edition of the SARE publication Managing Cover Crops Profitably, widely regarded as the standard reference for farmers, agronomists and others interested in adoption of cover crops on farms in the United States.

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