About the network
Our nationwide team aims to breed and release improved cover crop varieties by:
Advancing cover crop genetics using traditional breeding, marker-assisted selection, high-throughput phenotyping, genome sequencing, and multi-environment trials;
Engaging farmers through surveys to identify breeding targets, facilitating on-farm selection, and conducting participatory variety testing to select lines for release;
Multi-environment testing of advanced breeding lines at over a dozen nationwide sites (including USDA-NRCS-PMCs) to identify what varieties perform best in specific regions.
See what we do
PEOPLE
Contact us! ccbn@cornell.edu
Cornell University - Ithaca, NY
Breeding: Hairy Vetch, Winter Pea, Cereal Rye
Trials: Crimson Clover, Hairy Vetch, Winter Pea, Cereal Rye, Winter Brassica
Project Director: Virginia Moore vm377@cornell.edu
Co-Project Director: Matt Ryan mrr232@cornell.edu
Network Coordinator: Solveig Hanson sh2458@cornell.edu
Research Support: Ryan Crawford, Jamie Crawford, Chris Pelzer, Kristen Loria
Students: Raksha Thapa, Erika Everest
Past Contributor: Jenyne Loarca
USDA-ARS Beltsville Agricultural Research - Beltsville, MD
Breeding: Crimson Clover, Hairy Vetch, Winter Pea, Cereal Rye
Trials: Crimson Clover, Hairy Vetch, Winter Pea, Cereal Rye
Co-Project Director: Steven Mirsky Steven.Mirsky@usda.gov
Research Support: Ruth Mangum, Allen Burke
Past Contributor: Jude Maul
North Carolina State University - Raleigh, NC
Breeding: Crimson Clover, Hairy Vetch, Winter Pea, Cereal Rye
Trials: Crimson Clover, Hairy Vetch, Winter Pea, Cereal Rye, Winter Brassica
Co-Project Director: Chris Reberg-Horton screberg@ncsu.edu
Co-Project Director: Ramon Leon Gonzalez rleon@ncsu.edu
Co-Project Director: J. Paul Murphy paul_murphy@ncsu.edu
Research Support: Alyssa Woodard, Esleyther Henriquez
Past Contributors: Lais Bastos Martins, Sarah Seehaver Eagen, Democ Rebong
University of Georgia - Athens, GA
Breeding: Crimson Clover, Hairy Vetch
Research Lead: Jessica Barb jessica.barb@uga.edu
USDA-ARS Dairy Forage Research - Madison, WI
Breeding: Hairy Vetch
Trials: Crimson Clover, Hairy Vetch, Winter Pea, Winter Brassica
Co-Project Director: Heathcliffe Riday Heathcliffe.Riday@usda.gov
Hairy Vetch Lead: Lisa Kissing Kucek Lisa.Kucek@usda.gov
Research Support: Neal Tilhou
Past Contributor: Elizabeth Matejczyk
University of Minnesota - St. Paul, MN
Breeding: Hairy Vetch, Cereal Rye
Trials: Hairy Vetch, Winter Pea
Co-Project Director: Nancy Ehlke nancy@umn.edu
Co-Project Director: Robert Stupar stup0004@umn.edu
Research Support: Steven Mulkey
Past Contributors: Adria Fernandez, Nick Wiering
Kansas State University - Manhattan, KS
Breeding: Winter Brassica
Trials: Winter Brassica
Research Lead: Mike Stamm mjstamm@ksu.edu
North Dakota State University - Carrington, ND
Breeding: Winter Pea
Trials: Winter Pea
Research Lead: Mike Ostlie mike.ostlie@ndsu.edu
Past Co-Project Director: Steve Zwinger
USDA-ARS Grain Legume Genetics Physiology Research - Pullman, WA
Breeding and Seed Increase: Winter Pea
Co-Project Director: Rebecca McGee rebecca.mcgee@usda.gov
USDA-NRCS Jimmy Carter Plant Materials Center - Americus, GA
Trials: Crimson Clover, Hairy Vetch, Winter Pea, Winter Brassica
Research Lead: Nicholas McGhee nicholas.mcghee@ga.usda.gov
Auburn University - Auburn, AL
Trials: Crimson Clover
Research Lead: Marnin Wolfe mdw0092@auburn.edu
University of Missouri - Columbia, MO
Trials: Hairy Vetch, Winter Pea, Winter Brassica
Project Director: Rob Myers myersrob@missouri.edu
Research Lead: Kerry Clark ClarkK@missouri.edu
Natl Cover Crop Variety Dev. Project Mgr: Mollie Herget m.herget@missouri.edu
Student: Joey Meinert
Past Contributor: Kimberly Griffin
USDA-ARS Livestock, Forage, and Pasture Management - El Reno, OK
Trials: Crimson Clover, Hairy Vetch, Winter Pea, Winter Brassica
Research Lead: Travis Witt travis.witt@usda.gov
Texas A&M University - College Station, TX
Trials: Crimson Clover
Research Lead: Gerald Smith Gerald.Smith@ag.tamu.edu
USDA-NRCS Smith Plant Materials Center - Knox City, TX
Trials: Crimson Clover, Hairy Vetch
Research Lead: Brandon Carr brandon.carr@usda.gov
Past Contributor: Dustin Wiggans
USDA-ARS Northern Great Plains Research - Mandan, ND
Trials
Research Lead: John Hendrickson john.hendrickson@usda.gov
Research Lead: David Archer
Research Support: Holly Johnson
USDA-NRCS Pullman Plant Materials Center - Pullman, WA
Trials: Hairy Vetch, Winter Pea
Research Lead: Steven Lee steven.lee2@usda.gov
Past Contributor: Jessica Wayment
USDA-NRCS Great Basin Plant Materials Center - Fallon, NV
Trials
Research Lead: Chris Bernau Christopher.Bernau@usda.gov
USDA-NRCS Lockeford Plant Materials Center - Lockeford, CA
Trials
Research Lead: Margaret Smither-Kopperl Margaret.Smither-Kopperl@usda.gov
USDA-NRCS Corvallis Plant Materials Center - Corvallis, OR
Trials: Crimson Clover, Hairy Vetch
Research Lead: Amy Bartow amy.bartow@usda.gov
Research Support: Ian Silvernail
University of Alaska - Fairbanks, AK
Trials: Hairy Vetch, Winter Pea
Research Lead: Mingchu Zhang mzhang3@alaska.edu
USDA-NRCS Elsberry Plant Materials Center - Elsberry, MO
Seed Increase
Research Lead: Ron Cordsiemon Ron.Cordsiemon@usda.gov
USDA-NRCS Aberdeen Plant Materials Center - Aberdeen, ID
Seed Increase
Research Lead: Derek Tilley Derek.Tilley@usda.gov
USDA-NPGS Temperate Forage Legume Genetic Research - Prosser, WA
Seed Production Trials & Seed Increase
Research Lead: Brian Irish brian.irish@usda.gov
USDA-NRCS Plant Materials Center Administrators
Trials & Seed Increase
National Program Leader: John Englert John.Englert@usda.gov
Eastern Region Plant Materials Specialist: Allen Casey allen.casey@usda.gov
Central Region Plant Materials Specialist: Joel Douglas Joel.Douglas@usda.gov
West Region Plant Materials Specialist: Heather Dial Heather.Dial@usda.gov
Farmer-Breeders
Mark Doudlah - Evansville, WI
Wendy Johnson - Charles City, IA
Jonathon Moser - Mandan, ND
Theresa and Dan Podoll - Fullerton, ND
Steve Zwinger - Carrington, ND
On-Farm Variety Trials
Nico Enjalbert SeedLinked
FUNDING
USDA - Agriculture & Food Research Initiative - Sustainable Agriculture Systems
2023-68012-38993
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USDA - National Institute of Food & Agriculture - Organic Research Extension Initiative
2015-51300-24192
2018-51300-28424
2021-51300-34899
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National Institute for Food and Agriculture
2018-67013-27570
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Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research