A study is under way in the water-scarce region to see if commodity farmers can use the regenerative technique of cover cropping as a way to adapt to rapidly changing weather conditions
Mon 29 May 2023 11.00 BSTIn one of the toughest growing regions in the US, commercial farmers like Frank Machac are experimenting with a style of ancient agriculture more known for soil health than profit.
“If cover crops can make agriculture more sustainable without me losing money, then it can’t hurt, but we have to get it right,” said Machac, who currently rents 3,000 acres across Hidalgo county,Cover crops are planted between growing periods for cash crops – grains, legumes, vegetables and fruits farmed to sell or eat – to nourish and stabilise the soil rather than leave it exposed.
The study is already at the halfway mark , and this field day was an opportunity to share the results so far – positive and negative – with the participant farmers, and others considering taking part, as well as USDA officials promoting cover cropping across the region. Scientists warn that global heating will likely exacerbate weather extremes and soil erosion – a major issue due to the valley’s brutal winds, over-farming and unchecked deforestation.
Over the years, USDA programs encouraging farmers and ranchers to reduce environmental harms and integrate conservation into working lands have come and gone with varying success.implement climate-smart agricultural practices like cover cropping and reduced tillage, and crop rotation to improve resilience to rapidly changing climate conditions – and reduce the sector’s greenhouse gas footprint.
But what works in small plots or on large scale commercial farms in the midwest – where the vast majority of American research into cover crops has taken place – is not directly applicable to the very particular conditions of the RGV. If farmers terminate the cover crop too late, it could become a weed and steal too much water; if they terminate too soon, they may lose out on nitrogen and other benefits that boost yields and help balance the books.
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