COLUMBIA, Mo. – The University of Missouri Center for Regenerative Agriculture has opened a third round of funding for fall cover crop planting in Missouri.

About $3 million is available for Missouri producers interested in using cover crops on their cropland through the Missouri Conservation Crop and Livestock Project (CRCL), says Bethany Bedeker, cover crop outreach manager with the MU Center for Regenerative Agriculture. Payments are also available for planting trees under the silvopasture option.

The application period for cover crop and silvopasture payments is through July 31 or whenever funding runs out. Applications will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis, Bedeker says. After available funds are allocated for this season, remaining qualified applicants will be placed on a waiting list.

Applicants must have operational control of the field and have a Farm Service Agency farm number.

Opportunities include $30 per acre to plant cereal rye in front of soybeans, $40 per acre to plant a mix of three cover crops in front of corn or other non-legume crops, $15 per acre to delay spring cover crop termination until after May 1 and $20 per acre for grazing cover crops. Farmers can enroll fields that have had cover crops planted on them in the past. The payment for tree planting in pastures (silvopasture) is $20 to $50 per tree based on type of tree.

Later in the year, farmers will have the opportunity to enroll in additional conservation programs through the Missouri CRCL Project. Find more details on all the programs at mizzou.us/CRCL. For questions, email mocrcl@missouri.edu.