General benefits of diversity in cover crops, pastures and forages

Compared to low diversity crops, the use of more diverse crops provide:

• improved soil structure and function due to diverse root structures and root exudates (e.g. reduced risk of soil erosion and nutrient loss, improved water infiltration and nutrient cycling)

• greater resilience to excess rainfall

• more reliable performance in variable or extreme weather - something is likely to grow regardless, even if faced with unusually wet, dry, hot or cold conditions

• lower fertiliser and chemical input requirements and associated costs

• improved plant health as a result of different plant species mobilising and sharing nutrients and minerals (especially those with deeper roots)

• increased soil carbon storage by increasing energy supplied to microbes (for carbon storage processes)

• thriving soil microbes fed by diverse roots systems and root exudates

• increased biodiversity and abundance (particularly of beneficial insects) from more diverse habitats and food sources

• increased drought resilience and crop health from sharing of nutrients, energy and water between species

• lower fertiliser and chemical input requirements and associated costs

• improved establishment and performance of subsequent crops thanks to deep rooted crop species ‘cultivating’ the soil and providing root channels for subsequent crops or pastures

• more connected and healthier farmers, families, and staff - diversity gets people curious about what’s happening in the soil, flowering plants that bring insects and birds makes people feel good, and management is less stressful