Soil-climate factors have a greater influence on the presence of winter cover crops than regulatory constraints in France

Despite the benefits associated with winter soil cover before sowing a spring crop, this practice is adopted unevenly by farmers. The goal of paper to identify and hierarchize main soil-climate factors that hinder adoption crops. It first study carry out analysis at scale France, which country wide variety types climates. For country, maps vegetated prior establishment crop were previously produced for years 2018 2019, using Sentinel-2 multispectral images. approximately half France’s acreage crops, estimation concerning presence or absence was correlated here each field. inclusion within Nitrate Vulnerable Zones another potentially important variable explain adoption, as regulatory requirements Nitrates Directives strongly encourage in these zones reduce nitrogen losses. Because regarding cover, influence being located Zone also evaluated. But despite incentives had little on adoption. Principal component analyses performed different rotations showed clay content factor most negatively Cover crops more frequently established sandy fields high organic carbon stocks, corresponds rather characteristics livestock regions. development technical solutions destruction soils could facilitate thus improve global water quality.