Best Plants to Prevent Soil Erosion on Farms: 9 Compared

The best plants to prevent soil erosion on farms depend on the job. Hay and pasture carry a crop factor of 0.02 in Ontario’s soil loss equation, against 0.40 for grain corn, so a year-round sod is the strongest protection. For fields that stay in crops, winter cover crops such as cereal rye protect the soil between seasons, and stiff grass strips such as switchgrass catch what still moves.

No single plant wins everywhere. This guide compares nine plants by the job they do, the climate they fit and the catch that comes with each. It also gives you a soil loss calculator, so you can test a change on your own field before you buy seed.

Which plant is best for checking soil erosion?

Start with the place the soil is leaving. Use this short list, then read the profile for each plant further down.

• Bare ground between cash crops: cereal rye in cool climates, cowpea in warm summers, crimson clover where winters are mild.
• Steep or long slopes: permanent sod, or hedges of switchgrass on the contour. In frost-limited climates, vetiver can do the hedge job.
• Waterways and banks: red fescue or another sod-forming grass.
• Stream edges: a grass strip next to the field, with native shrubs or trees next to the water.
• Fields you can take out of row crops: alfalfa or a perennial hay mix.

Why plants hold soil in place

Erosion begins when raindrops hit bare soil and loosen it. Runoff then carries the loose soil away. Ontario’s agriculture ministry explains that plants and residue shield the soil from raindrop impact and slow runoff, which gives water more time to soak in. Cover that fully protects the surface works best.

Plants do this in four ways:

• Leaves and residue take the force of the rain before it reaches the ground.
• Stiff stems slow runoff, so it drops its sediment.
• Roots bind the soil and open paths for water to move down.
• Timing matters as much as species. Protection counts most when heavy rain falls.

That last point explains why the same ministry says crops that cover the soil for much of the year, such as alfalfa or winter cover crops, reduce erosion far more than row crops that leave soil bare for longer. Wind follows the same logic. Soil that is dry, bare and exposed moves first, and knolls and hilltops usually suffer the most.

▶ A light explainer on seven simple ways to protect soil and water. · 4:34

How much soil is at stake

A global model published in Nature Communications estimated that water erosion could move about 35.9 billion tonnes of soil in 2012, an average near 2.8 tonnes per hectare across the area studied in 2001. That is a modelled potential figure for water erosion, and it was at least two times lower than earlier reference values. Older round numbers quoted online may use a different method, so compare them with care.

In Europe, Eurostat reports that 5.1% of the EU’s non-artificial erodible land was at risk of severe water erosion in 2023. Severe means a loss above 10 tonnes per hectare per year. The share is falling, but slowly. The area at risk shrank 13.4% from 2000 to 2016, and 3.4% from 2016 to 2023.

Chart

EU land at risk of severe water erosion

Percent of non-artificial erodible land, selected years

Plants to prevent soil erosion compared

The table sums up each plant. Root and climate notes come from USDA plant guides and extension sources linked in the profiles below. We do not show a percent soil-loss score for each plant, because results change with slope, soil, rainfall and stand quality, and we found no common trial that covers all nine.

The nine plants, by the job they do

1. Switchgrass

Best for: slopes, gullies, buffers and barrier strips in North America.

The USDA plant guide for switchgrass describes a warm-season bunchgrass with fibrous roots that can grow more than 10 feet deep. It is used on slopes, gullies and other critical areas to stabilize soil, reduce sheet and rill erosion and trap sediment. Its stiff stems and dense crown also suit riparian buffers. The guide gives a drilled seeding rate of 4 to 6 pounds of pure live seed per acre, or 8 to 10 if broadcast. Pick a cultivar suited to your region.

2. Vetiver grass

Best for: narrow contour hedges in warm climates.

The USDA guide to Sunshine vetivergrass explains how this plant works as an erosion barrier. Its stiff stems slow silty runoff and trap sediment, and a terrace-like bench forms behind the hedge over time. With proper care, a single row can form a working barrier within one growing season, and the roots grow almost straight down, so they compete little with the crop. Sunshine scored low risk (-8) on the Hawaii-Pacific weed assessment.

The catch is climate. In the United States, the guide fits vetiver to USDA hardiness zones 9 to 11. It suits the tropics and subtropics. Established plants have persisted with annual rainfall from about 20 to 200 inches, and may need extra water below 35 inches. In colder places, use switchgrass for the hedge instead. Check local weed rules before planting any non-native grass.

3. Red fescue

Best for: grassed waterways, banks and cuts in cool regions.

The USDA plant guide for red fescue calls it an excellent soil stabilizer that is widely used on waterways, slopes, banks, cuts and fills. It tolerates low fertility and some shade, and it can serve as a low cover in orchards. For erosion control plantings the guide doubles the seeding rate to 8 pounds of pure live seed per acre. Dense sod can hold back other species, which may matter if you want a diverse strip.

4. Tall fescue

Best for: tough field borders and waterways where a hard-wearing sod is the goal.

The USDA tall fescue guide notes that the Kentucky-31 cultivar was planted widely for forage and erosion control because it is long lived and easy to establish. It also warns that the endophyte fungus inside many stands produces toxic alkaloids, that fescue-heavy grassland supports less wildlife, and that the plant may become weedy or invasive in some areas. Ask your local office about suitable cultivars before you sow it near grazing stock or habitat.

5. Cereal rye

Best for: fall-sown cover after corn, soybeans or vegetables.

The USDA cereal rye guide says rye is often planted in fall for erosion control. As a cover crop it can also scavenge nitrogen, build soil and suppress weeds. SARE’s cover crop guide groups non-legumes like rye among those most useful for erosion control and for large amounts of residue. Plan how you will end the cover before your cash crop goes in, and follow the label and local rules if you use a herbicide. SARE puts annual ryegrass in the same non-legume group.

6. Crimson clover

Best for: quick cover plus nitrogen where winters are mild.

The USDA crimson clover guide describes a winter or summer annual cover used in rotation, and notes its use along roads in the southeastern United States for quick erosion cover. Clovers and other legumes add nitrogen. SARE points out that legumes help prevent erosion and add organic matter, though not as much as grasses. Mixing clover with a grass is one way to get both benefits.

7. Cowpea

Best for: filling a hot summer gap.

The USDA cowpea guide credits its long taproot and wide spread for its value in erosion control, and reports a taproot of about eight feet in roughly eight weeks. It can yield 2,500 to 4,500 pounds of dry matter per acre and supply 100 to 150 pounds of nitrogen to the next crop. Frost ends it, so it does not protect soil through winter.

8. Alfalfa

Best for: moving a sloping field out of row crops for several years.

North Dakota State University notes, in its saline soils guide, that alfalfa roots at least 8 feet deep two years after establishment and uses up to 25 inches of soil water a year. It also warns that alfalfa does not tolerate flooding, so keep it off flood-prone ground. As a perennial hay crop, it brings a field close to the low hay and pasture factor in the chart below.

9. Native willow, with a warning

Best for: streambanks, where the species is native and allowed.

The USDA guide to coyote willow, a North American native, describes roots that stabilize banks, and notes it roots freely from cuttings. Do not take this advice everywhere. Weeds Australia lists most willow species as Weeds of National Significance, because they invade riverbanks and wetlands and form thickets that divert water out of the main channel. Australian and New Zealand readers should ask their local catchment or weed authority before planting any willow.

▶ Why organic matter matters in farm soil. · 7:33

What the soil loss equation says about cover and tillage

The Universal Soil Loss Equation is a planning tool. It multiplies rainfall, soil type, slope, crop and tillage, and support practice to estimate long-term average sheet and rill loss on one slope. It does not count gully, wind or tillage erosion. Ontario’s published factors show how much your choices matter. A lower factor means less predicted soil loss.

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Crop factor by crop type

Ontario USLE crop type factor, selected crops, lower means less predicted soil loss

Among the crop and tillage choices shown, crop type moves the number most. The factor for hay and pasture is one twentieth of the factor for grain corn.

Tillage matters too. Moving from fall plowing to no-till cuts the tillage factor from 1.0 to 0.25.

These are generalized Ontario values. They do not account for rotations or local rainfall timing, so treat them as a guide and use your local tool or adviser for a formal plan. USDA later released RUSLE2, an updated version of this approach.

Chart

Tillage factor by method

Ontario USLE tillage method factor, multiplied by the crop factor

Soil erosion prevention on the farm beyond plants

Plants work better with field layout that slows water. Ontario’s factors put contour farming at 0.50 and contour strip cropping at 0.25, compared with 1.0 for working up and down the slope. For the details of contour work, see our guide to contour ploughing and its disadvantages. For more on the wider toolkit, read about solutions for stopping water erosion, six ways to control soil erosion and weeds and sustainable soil management practices.

Buffers and grazed land

NC State Extension advises grass next to the field in a riparian buffer, because grass spreads water and removes sediment better than forest. Trees are better at holding streambanks and at providing habitat for fish and stream insects. For an upland site with moderate erosion potential, its suggested design is a 25-foot forested or shrub zone by the stream, with enough grass beyond it to control erosion. Other sites get different widths.

Grazing matters as well. A 12-year USDA ARS study on 15 small watersheds found higher erosion under continuous grazing. Fenced riparian buffers kept erosion low in rotationally grazed pasture, and hayed watersheds also had lower runoff and sediment loads.

What it costs, as one published example

The USDA NRCS Pennsylvania cost list for fiscal year 2026 shows how widely these practices differ in unit cost. These are published EQIP unit costs for one state, for a fiscal year that ended on 30 September 2026, not quotes or a national price. Your state list and contractor price will differ.

US farmers can ask their local NRCS office about the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, which offers financial and technical help for conservation work. In other countries, ask your farm advisory service or agri-environment scheme. Check current terms before you commit, and get professional advice on contracts.

▶ Soil as a living system, and its role in holding water and supplying nutrients. · 9:58

How to choose: five steps

1. Find the problem. Walk the field after a heavy rain. Note rills, gullies, muddy outlets and bare knolls.
2. Name the job. Is it seasonal cover, a hedge, a waterway, a bank or a long rotation?
3. Match climate and rules. Check your hardiness zone, rainfall and local weed lists.
4. Fit it to your rotation. Work out the planting window after harvest and how the cover will end.
5. Check the stand. A thin stand gives thin protection. Look at it again in the season when your heavy rain falls.

Satellite maps can help with that last step. Farmonaut shows vegetation maps of each field over the season, so thin cover and late patches stand out. They show plant cover, not the cause, so walk the spot before acting. For large holdings, field managers may also use tools for managing many farms.

Related pages on our site: farm carbon footprinting, farm machinery routes, product traceability, crop loans and insurance, satellite data API documents, satellite API access, field monitoring app.

Try the numbers for your own farm below.

FAQ

Which plant is considered best for checking soil erosion?

There is no single best plant. Permanent grass or hay gives the strongest protection on Ontario’s soil loss factors. Vetiver makes a good hedge, but it fits warm climates. Switchgrass does a similar job in much of North America.

What are erosion-resisting crops?

Crops that keep soil covered for most of the year resist erosion best, such as hay, pasture and alfalfa. Fruit trees (0.10) and cereals (0.35) also sit below grain corn (0.40) and silage corn, beans and canola (0.50) in Ontario’s crop factors.

How can farmers prevent soil erosion?

Keep the soil covered, disturb it less and slow the water. Common steps are cover crops, no-till, contour work, strip cropping, grassed waterways and buffers. Ontario’s worked example predicts a fall from 20.8 to 5.8 tonnes per hectare a year when a field moves from spring plowing to no-till.

How does vegetation prevent erosion?

Leaves and residue absorb the force of rain. Stems slow runoff so sediment settles. Roots bind the soil and help water soak in.

Do cover crops help with wind erosion too?

Yes. SARE names protection against both wind and water erosion as a clear soil benefit of cover crops. Standing plants and residue keep dry surface soil from moving.