Research on Cover Crop Fields
Agricultural fields provide crucial overwintering habitat for many species of waterfowl in Delta.
In addition to soil benefits for farmers, planting cover crops over the winter provides foraging material for birds such as Snow Geese, Trumpeter Swans and American Wigeon.
Every week from October to March, we monitor waterfowl presence on farmland in Delta and Richmond to understand how waterfowl are utilizing agricultural fields.
We also measure the amount of grazing that has occurred on cover crop fields throughout the season.
Over the winter of 2021/2022, coverage of cover crops on planted fields was 84.3% in October and was reduced to 60.3% by March, caused by waterfowl grazing .