Beyond adoption: understanding how systems thinking and holistic management lead to long term cover cropping success

Despite growing interest in sustainable farming practices, cover cropping remains underutilized in Illinois, with only 3.35% of total farmland adopting the practice as of 2022 (National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2022, Table 47 and Table 1). Existing messaging and support systems have proven insufficient in facilitating both initial adoption and long-term implementation. This study examines strategies to reduce the learning curve of cover crop management and enhance sustained adoption by analyzing field-level data from Precision Conservation Management’s Five-Year Transition Program and conducting semi-structured interviews with experienced cover crop farmers and technical advisors. While prior research often frames cover crop adoption as a binary decision, focusing primarily on initial adoption drivers, this study shifts the perspective toward systems-level changes necessary for long-term implementation and profitability. Expanding on Roesch-McNally (2017), which analyzed how farmers navigate field-level and market barriers, this research identifies key management strategies that enable successful cover crop transitions and sustained economic viability. Findings emphasize the importance of systems thinking in cover cropping success. Farmers develop adaptive management strategies through experience, refining operational timing and decision-making to maximize cover crop benefits while minimizing risks to cash crops. A growth mindset, accountability, and adaptability enable growers to leverage ecological advantages to offset costs. Without these strategies, simply integrating cover crops into conventional systems remains financially unviable, as marginal yield increases fail to offset additional costs. Farmers identified three primary learning methods essential for success: guidance from conservation agronomists, support from farmer networks, and trial-and-error experimentation. Early mentorship provides a foundational understanding, while autonomous experimentation allows farmers to tailor strategies to specific field conditions. To promote further adoption and long-term success, industry and policy reforms must strengthen technical support, enhance agronomist training in advanced cover crop management, and expand research on product interactions within cover crop systems. Additionally, clear market incentives—such as premium pricing linked to corporate sustainability commitments and carbon markets—can mitigate early adoption risks. Conservation messaging also requires restructuring, as current approaches are overly politicized and fail to highlight the direct benefits of cover crops to farmers. Reframing cover crops as practical tools for increasing control and resiliency in an increasingly unpredictable agricultural industry may improve engagement, emphasizing their role in mitigating market volatility, erosion, extreme weather, and rising input costs – the primary adoption drivers cited by growers.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Agricultural & Applied Econ

Grantor

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2025

Author dc:creator

• Cilento, Shae Elizabeth

Contributors dc:contributor

• Skidmore, Marin Elisabeth
• Coppess, Jonathan W.
• Schnitkey, Gary Donald

• Cover Crops
• Holisitc Management
• Conservation Agriculture

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2025 Shae Cilento

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/130020

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F130020