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Maryland Department of Agriculture

Traditional Cover Crop Program

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Attention Cover Crop Farmers:

  • Due to recent weather impacting planting conditions, MDA has extended several key planting deadlines for its fall cover crop grant program. The revised deadlines apply to the following seeding methods and crop varieties, moving from the original October 10 cutoff to the new dates below:

  • Aerial Seeding: Extended to October 15

  • Incorporated Seeding Incentives: Extended to October 15

  • Oats and Mixes (containing Legumes and/or Brassicas): Extended to October 15

  • Certify your cover crop with your local soil conservation district within one week of planting and by November 12, 2026.

Updated:
Field of cover crops with silos in the background
Credit: Edwin Remsberg

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

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 & payment options

​Traditional Cover Crop Payment Options​​No-TillConventional​Broadcast with
Light, Medium or Vertical Tillage 		AerialBroadcast Stalk 
Chop & 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 rye,
triticale, or 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
 

​Requirements

Planting requirements

  • ​Plant cover crops after corn, soybeans, sorghum (sorghum/Sudan hybrid), tobacco, vegetables, hemp, sunflowers, sod, or 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, rye, barley, triticale, oats, and 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 weather.

  • ​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.

Important dates

  • ​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.

Certification requirement

To receive payment, you must certify your cover crop with your local soil conservation district within one week of planting and by November 12, 2026. Additionally, all follow-up documentation must be submitted to the district by December 1, 2026.

Cover crop fact sheets and calculator for mixes 

(Seeding, Planting & Payment Rates)

Forms & resources

How to apply

  • 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. ​
  • You must be in good standing with the Conservation Grants Program and in compliance with Maryland’s nutrient management requirements.
  • Additional restrictions may apply.

Contact Your Soil Conservation District

Green Chopping Cover Crops for On-Farm Forage

Did you know the cover crop program allows enrolled cover crops to be grazed or chopped for on-farm livestock forage after becoming well-established? Learn how this Kent County dairy farmer's cover crops are helping both his soil and his livestock thrive.

Maryland Conservation Spotlight: Cover Crops

Did you know that cover crops can provide a stable source of nitrogen for spring crops? Meet a pair of Queen Anne's County farmers who have taken cover cropping to the next level.

Cover Crop Plus Program

Check out our newly updated Cover Crop Plus+ grants for innovative cover crop practitioners.

Learn more about the Cover Crop Plus Program

Related contacts