Cover crops do the heavy lifting between seasons—this article explains how getting seeding and stand establishment right can unlock better soil health, stronger nutrient efficiency, and higher returns from every acre.
Cover crops are the unsung heroes of crop production. Although they aren’t planted for harvest, they play a critical role in protecting and improving soil between cash-crop seasons. Grasses, cereals, legumes, and brassicas have long been used to prevent erosion, improve soil health, enhance water quality, reduce pests, and suppress weeds—all while boosting biodiversity.
As the Nutrient Use Efficiency People®, we understand that soil health isn’t just about what’s in the soil—it’s about how well crops can access those nutrients. Incorporating cover crops is one of the most effective ways to strengthen that connection, and it all starts with how you seed and establish your stands.
“I’m a big proponent of cover crops because they help keep the soil in place and protect for the future by holding nutrients where they belong,” says Larry Stauber, Verdesian Life Sciences technical development manager. “Cover crops keep beneficial bacteria in the soil and help recycle nutrients. They have a multitude of benefits.”
The Agronomics (and Economics) of Cover Crops
Whether you’re planning a spring cash crop or preparing for fall cover crops, the agronomy remains the same: strong, uniform stands drive success. Cover crops are an investment—seed, fuel, labor—and like any investment, they deliver the best returns when you start with clear goals and a solid plan. Those goals may include:
- Reducing erosion and protecting topsoil
- Providing feed for livestock
- Breaking up compaction layers
- Building deeper, more resilient soil profiles
From an agronomic standpoint, your cover crop plan deserves the same attention as your cash crop strategy. With proper preparation, cover crops can deliver measurable agronomic and economic benefits that support healthier soils and stronger future yields.
That said, cover crops aren’t a one-season solution. They build value over time, and as they become more common, many growers are still refining species selection, timing, residue management, and nutrient strategies. The key is to treat cover crops as an intentional part of the system, rather than an afterthought.
And just like cash crops, success begins with establishment. Late-fall and early-winter seeding can mean cool, dry, or otherwise stressful conditions. Stand uniformity, emergence, and early root development often determine whether a cover crop delivers its intended benefits.
Strong Starts Under Stress: Where SEED+GRAPHITE® Fits
This is where seed-applied technology, such as the SEED+GRAPHITE line, can make a meaningful difference for both cash crops and the cover crops that support them.
SEED+GRAPHITE is a nutritional talc + graphite seed lubricant and next-generation planter box solution designed to:
- Improve germination, emergence, and seedling vigor
- Support strong early root and shoot development
- Enhance tolerance to abiotic stresses like cold, heat, drought, excess moisture, and UV
- Contribute to higher yields and more consistent stands
By providing key nutrients and biostimulants directly on the seed, SEED+GRAPHITE delivers agronomic advantages that go far beyond a standard talc + graphite blend. Applied just like any seed lubricant (in the tender or planter box), it’s an easy way to elevate an existing practice.
SEED+GRAPHITE combines three key components in one product:
- Talc + Graphite for planting efficiency
- Improves seed flowability and reduces bridging
- Helps dry seed and reduce static electricity
- Micronutrients for emergence and vigor
- Support strong germination and uniform stands
- Drive early-season root and shoot growth
- Biostimulants for season-long performance
- Build stress tolerance
- Support photosynthetic activity and carbohydrate production
Across more than 300 trials, SEED+ technology has shown an average 10% yield increase, proving both its agronomic and economic value. If you’re investing around $30 per acre in a cover crop mix, adding a few dollars per acre for SEED+GRAPHITE can serve as strong insurance, often ensuring a more reliable stand when conditions turn cold, dry, or otherwise challenging.
Seed Treatments + Cover Crops: Setting Up the System
Many growers associate seed-enhancement technologies with cash crops, but the same logic applies to cover crops. Soil benefits, such as improved structure, nutrient cycling, and water-holding capacity, depend on living roots and biomass. Without a healthy stand, those benefits are limited.
SEED+GRAPHITE helps cover crops establish quickly and uniformly, building the root systems that drive nutrient and water movement. That’s essential for keeping a living root in the soil profile as long as possible and strengthening the foundation for the following cash crop.
Since rotations, climates, and management systems vary, it’s important to work with a trusted agronomic advisor to select species, planting windows, and seed treatment strategies that fit your acres. There’s no one-size-fits-all recipe, but better establishment almost always pays.
Verdesian Solutions: Planning Nutrients Around Cover Crops
As you plan for next season’s cover crops and the cash crop that follows, nutrients should be part of the conversation. Successful nutrient management in a cover-crop system means considering fertilizer, residue, and soil biology together.
“It’s important to look at cover crops as part of the overall crop system, especially with soil-applied nutrient products like Phree-uP®, the AVAIL® family, FLO-COAT® BMZ, and others,” says Zwingman. “Cover crop residue ultimately affects nutrient availability for the next season’s crop.”
Phree-uP, recently introduced by Verdesian, is a dual-action solution that protects and unlocks phosphorus—keeping more applied P available all season.
Trident® nitrogen stabilizers protect applied nitrogen from volatilization, leaching, and denitrification, helping maintain nitrogen in the root zone where the crop can use it.
When paired with a well-managed cover crop system, these technologies help:
- Enhance fertilizer efficiency
- Support strong early root systems
- Maintain nutrient availability as residue breaks down
- Improve yield potential while building long-term soil health
“Planting cover crops doesn’t have to be a separate decision from your nutrient program,” Zwingman says. “Cover crops, nutrients, and the Verdesian suite of products can work together to maximize your nutrient program and optimize your cash crops.”
Rooted in Science. Grounded in Trust. Every Season.
At Verdesian, we use proven science to help growers get more from every acre while keeping their soils productive for the future. From seed-applied technologies like SEED+GRAPHITE to nutrient use efficiency products such as the AVAIL family, Phree-uP, FLO-COAT BMZ, and the Trident family, our portfolio is built to unlock nutrients, strengthen plant performance, and improve crop quality season after season.
Backed by decades of research and real-world results, Verdesian offers solutions that work across crops, regions, and growing conditions. It’s all part of building balance between soil, plant, and environment—helping growers achieve productivity that lasts.
Contact us today to learn more.
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