b'U.S. Cover CropWITH U.S. COVERcrop seed imports doubling in recent years, industry leaders are calling for increased domestic production, regional adaptation, and policy support to ensure Industry Facesa sustainable future for this growing conservation practice. At the Western Seed Associations joint meeting with the American Seed Trade Associations (ASTA) Turf and Forage Convention, the University of Missouris (Mizzou) Etienne Sutton spoke about Growth andmeeting the rising demand. Sutton works for the National Cover Crop Variety Improvement and Seed Production Program at Mizzou. She noted that cover crop use is trending upwards due to significant Hurdles investments in the practice. However, she emphasized that a major challenge remains in finding the right species for farm-ers systems and goals, stressing the need for more regionally adapted and context-specific cover crop species and varieties.One of the key challenges discussed is the insufficient pro-Theres a rising demand for cover cropsduction of U.S.-grown cover crop seed to meet the national goal and there are challenges of meeting it.of 40 million acres by 2030.U.S. seed imports of cover crops have doubled between By Aimee Nielson, Seed World U.S. Editor 2019 to 2023, reaching a value of $68 million in 2023, Sutton said. This rising trend presents a major opportunity to instead produce and sell cover crop seed domestically, which would help diversify the agricultural landscape, provide more market opportunities for farmers, and contribute to a more robust seed industry.Sutton used a baseline evaluation of the cover crop seed industry, led by social scientists at the University of Vermont and the University of Missouri. She explained that the evaluation 82/ SEEDWORLD.COMDECEMBER 2024'