Cover Crop Program

Cover Crop Program Main_Content ​​ The 2026-2027 Cover Crop Enrollment Period is Now Closed. Approval Letters Will be Mailed Shortly. Mark Your Calendars...​​ ​ MDA's  2026-2027 Cover Crop Sign-Up runs June 22  through July 17, 2026 at local soil conservation  district offices. This is your opportunity to apply for  grants to help pay for equipment  costs to plant soil-building cover crops in your fields this fall. ​ Why Plant Cover Crops Cover crops are important to the health of local  waterways and the Chesapeake Bay. They can also  improve the quality of spring cash crops and lower  input costs by: Recycling unused nutrients for spring cash crops Adding organic matter to the soil Controlling weeds and pests Reducing soil erosion and compaction Protecting fields from too much or too little rain Apply in Person Please contact your local soil conservation district  to apply for our grants. Be sure to bring your  completed Nutrient Management Plan Certification  and IRS Form W-9. Grant Highlights This year’s base payment is $35/acre, but you can  earn up to $65/acre in add-on incentives for using  highly valued planting practices. ​2026-2027 Cover Crop Planting and Payment Options ​Traditional Cover Crop Payment Options ​​No-Till ​Conventional ​Broadcast with Light, Medium or Vertical Tillage ​ Aerial ​Broadcast Stalk Chop and Broadcast Cultipacker​ ​Base Payment ​$35/acre ​$35/acre ​$35/acre ​$35/acre ​$35/acre ​Incorporate on or before October 10, add: ​$15/acre ​$15/acre ​$15/acre ​$0 ​$0 ​Plant a multi-species cover crop, add: ​$15/acre ​$15/acre ​$15/acre ​$15/acre ​$15/acre ​Maximum Payment ​$65/acre ​$65/acre ​$65/acre ​$50/acre ​$50/acre ​ Planting Options and Requirements ​Plant cover crops after (sorghum/Sudan hybrid), millet. You must plant at least 10 acres of cover crops to  participate in this program. Enrolled acreage cannot exceed Nutrient Management  Plan acreage. Direct deposit of cost-share grants is available. Seed Requirements ​Both homegrown and purchased seed must be tested and labeled following Maryland Seed Law and Regulations. Seed must be free of prohibited noxious weed  seeds, have at least 80% germination, and contain no more than 16 restricted noxious weeds per pound. Cover crop fact sheets showing eligible seeding  rates are available online and at your local soil conservation district. Eligible Cover Crop Species ​Cereal Grains: Wheat/spelt, ryegrass Brassicas: Forage radish and canola/rape (must  be planted with a cereal grain as part of a mix) Legumes: Clover, Austrian winter peas, and hairy  vetch (must be planted with a cereal grain as part of a mix. Cover Crop Mixes Planting a cover crop mix can increase biodiversity  on your farm and protect against extreme weath er. ​Plant two-species cover crop mixes at a rate of 50% cereal grains and 50% brassicas or legumes. Three species mixes (50/25/25) must contain a  minimum of 50% eligible cereal grains. To maximize their soil health benefits, we recommend  that mixes containing legumes be terminated after May 1 . Dates to Remember ​Plant cereal grains by November 5, 2026 . Some species have earlier deadlines. Plant oats or mixes containing legumes, forage  radish, canola/rape by October 10, 2026 . The aerial seeding deadline is October 10, 2026 . The deadline to receive an incentive for incorporated  seeding methods is October 10, 2026 . Terminate cover crops between March 1 and  June 1, 2027 . Fall Management Options ​After becoming well-established, eligible cover crops may be grazed or chopped for on-farm livestock forage. Non-poultry manure may be applied to cover  crop fields in the fall at a reduced payment rate of $25/acre. Certain conditions apply. This option does not qualify for additional incentives.

Cover crop fact sheets showing eligible seeding  rates are available online and at your local soil conservation district. Eligible Cover Crop Species