(Photo: Joseph L. Murphy/Iowa Soybean Association)
Webinar: Utilizing the Cover Crop Simulator for economic success
Date & Time:
April 7, 2021 | 8:00 - 8:30 AM or 1:00 - 1:30 PM
Location:
Zoom Webinar
Researching the economics of cover crop implementation takes time. Planting cover crops costs money, and farmers are probably more aware of direct planting costs than anyone else. What they may be much less aware of, however, are the ways in which planting cover crops can produce a return on your investment through income and cost mitigation opportunities or a yield bump over the long term.
This Innovation TO GO! webinar will be a descriptive guide to the the Cover Crop Economic Simulator tool and allow users to ask questions and receive live answers from the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) Research Center for Farming Innovation (RCFI) staff.
The 30-minute webinar will be offered through Zoom twice on Wednesday, April 7, 2021 to allow farmers to attend the time that fits their busy schedules. Iowa soybean farmers and those who work with them are encouraged to attend to learn how to make the most out of this free tool.
As part of an Iowa NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant, the Iowa Soybean Association has developed the Cover Crop Economic Simulator that helps pull this information together. The simulator, provides baseline costs involved to establish different types of “Iowa friendly” cover crops, as well as explore opportunities to generate income and employ cost share options. Users can also edit and customize baseline values and evaluate the impact of yield change and market price fluctuations on net return.
The tool also lists some key societal benefits in addition to a user’s individual ones. The simulator is designed for beginning and experienced cover crop users, landlords, as well as for those farmers who have never tried cover crops.
The tool also includes the latest economic information for Perennial Ground Cover, a new conservation option with a promising ROI currently being developed at Iowa State University with commercial partners and on-farm operators.
Prior to attending the webinar, you can view a basic overview of this tool. The webinar will then go more in-depth and allow you to get your questions answered by experts.
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