The Soil Health Monitoring Station in Elora has been monitoring nitrate in different scenarios, the current research has been dedicated to the use of cover crops to fight leaching. The experiment relied on crop rotations including corn, wheat, soy and cover crops testing the difference between using this rotation compared to a control without cover crops.
The researchers in association with Guelph University saw that over the testing period of four years the nitrate leaching was reduced in the cover crop grouping. Gordon Bell the Graduate Student from the University of Guelph covering the research noted that, “The cumulative data shows that cover crops reduced nitrate leaching by 70 to 77 per cent. Without cover crops that nitrate would just drain down into groundwater and be inaccessible to crops.”
Cover crops and mulch are known to be key practices for environmentally friendly and sustainable farming as they are known to improve soil health. The research conducted in the study further shows the long-lasting benefits of cover crops as a soil improvement tool.