Environment

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WASHINGTON, Sept. 27, 2017 - Farmers from Maryland to Illinois are turning their soil into a kind of sponge and absorbing the benefits: Planting cover crops such as cereal rye and varieties of radish during harvest season can simultaneously enhance the soil and increase yield. New studies support what farmers and agronomists have been saying for years – that cover crops reduce nutrient runoff, improve soil health and, most important for farmers, increase yields.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27, 2017 - University of Illinois experts say lawmakers should consider using the next farm bill to lift restrictions that may discourage farmers from planting cover crops to reduce soil erosion.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27, 2017 - A coalition of environmental groups, joined by the National Farmers Union and National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, want Congress to tighten enforcement of conservation compliance, increase spending on conservation programs and revise crop insurance rules to encourage more farmers to plant cover crops.