A Texas A&M AgriLife Research study of cover crops in the Rolling Plains determined cover crops use water but don't necessarily reduce cash-crop performance. According to AgriLife Today, there has been much interest in cover crops and the effects they have on soil health. Dr. Paul DeLaune, an AgriLife Research environmental soil scientist, has worked on two studies using cover crops. By studying conventional tillage without cover crops, no-till without cover crops and no-till with various mixtures of cover crops, DeLaune's initial findings indicate water use differs among cover crops. The multi-species cover crop produced the greatest biomass. Stored soil moisture was greater in some cover crop treatments compared to those without cover crops after the initial rainfall, indicating cover crops may encourage infiltration. But DeLaune warns that results from implementing cover crops won’t be immediate. “It is something the farmer is going to have to be dedicated to, committed to and understand that it is a long-term process before possibly seeing the benefits of this system,” he says.