As part of total farm nutrient management, farmers in Maryland are encouraged via an incentive payment to plant cover crops (primarily winter cereals) following a corn crop to consume residual soil nutrients. Reported cover crop acreage during the winter of 2007-2008 was 230,474 acres (Maryland Department of Agriculture); 2008-2009 signup acreage was in excess of 350,000 acres. Cover crop acreage dropped to slightly over 300,000 acres for 2009-2010 (primarily because fall of 2009 was excessively wet) but in 2010-2011 it exceeded 500,000 acres. Winter cereal grains (wheat, barley and rye) are the primary cover crops used. Full season soybean is frequently the crop planted in the spring,...