Start with your grove
Enter the three main values for your grove. The prefilled values are starting points, not recommendations.
Harvest charges Representative Florida charges are shown
Change these if you have your own grove-specific charges.
Sources and reference links
Resources
- Chakravarty, S. & Wade, T. (2023). Cost Analysis of Using Cover Crops in Citrus Production. HortTechnology, 33(3), 278–285. doi.org/10.21273/HORTTECH05126-22
- Wade, T., Chakravarty, S. & Strauss, S. Costs of Using Cover Crops in Citrus Production, 2022–23. UF/IFAS EDIS FE1168. edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FE1168
- Dawson, E., Kadyampakeni, D., Kanissery, R., Wade, T. & Strauss, S. L. Cover Crops for Florida Citrus: Practical Considerations and Their Impact on Soil Microbes. UF/IFAS EDIS SL534/SS749. edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/SS749
- Singerman, A. Cost of Production for Processed Oranges in Southwest Florida in 2023/24. UF/IFAS CREC, Lake Alfred, FL.
- Florida Department of Citrus, Processor Reports. Source for the fruit-quality value. floridacitrus.org
- USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. Citrus Fruits 2025 Summary. Source for the statewide 2024/25 Valencia yield. View the USDA-NASS report.
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update. Source for the diesel fuel price. eia.gov/petroleum/gasdiesel
- UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center. Custom Rate Charges for Florida Citrus Grove Caretaking, 2024/25. Source for the General Labor default. citrusresearch.ifas.ufl.edu
Estimate savings and cost offsets
- Default savings: Reduces annual mowing from four passes to two.
- Optional: Herbicide reductions and cost-share payments (excluded by default).
- Customization: Adjust all values to match your specific grove.
Count only row-middle sprays avoided because of the cover crop.
Build your cover crop budget
Start with the example summer and winter mixes, then adjust the seed, prices, rates and passes to match your plan.
One summer planting and one winter planting, each targeting 60 lb/acre.
For Florida citrus cover crop guidance, see UF/IFAS SS749. Starting seed prices are the average from four suppliers retrieved June 25, 2026.
Change a seasonal total above or overwrite any individual seed rate below.
| Seed | Price | Rate/acre | Plantings | Annual cost |
|---|
Planting operations
Fuel, labor, equipment and other costs used to establish the cover crop.
| Operation | Price | Use/acre | Passes | Annual cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel | $/gal |
gal |
— | |
| Labor | $/hr |
hr |
— | |
| Drill or planting equipment | $/ac |
— | — | |
| Other planting cost | $/ac |
— | — | |
| Planting operations subtotal | — | — | — | — |
Year 1 delivered-in break-even price
Compare your estimated Year 1 cost and break-even price with and without cover crops.
Year 1 cost effect
How the cover crop plan changes cost per acre.
Quick adjust
Change one of the key inputs here to see the result updates.
What is included in this estimate?
The estimate includes production and harvest costs, cover crop costs, savings from fewer mowing passes, and any herbicide savings or cost-share payments, if included.
The estimate does not assign a dollar value to potential improvements in soil health, water infiltration, erosion and dust control, beneficial insects, or long-term tree performance.
Assumptions behind these numbers
These results assume a production cost of — per acre, a yield of — boxes per acre, and quality of — lb solids per box. Harvest charges are — per box for Pick & Haul and — per box for the FDOC (Florida Department of Citrus) assessment. You can use the Quick Adjust above to change these numbers.
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10-year planning scenario
- 10-year scenario: Explore how costs, savings, and break-even prices change over time.
- Timeline: Year 1 uses your custom values; later years apply the scenario assumptions below.
- Disclaimer: This tool provides estimates, not a yield forecast.
Scenario assumptions
- Year 1 uses the values you entered and is not changed by these scenario settings.
- Beginning in Year 2, inflation increases production and cover crop costs as well as mowing and herbicide savings. The cover crop cost reduction applies only to cover crop costs.
- Held constant: yield, fruit quality, Pick & Haul, FDOC and the annual cost-share payment. Cost share stops after the number of years entered in Step 3.
View Year-by-Year Results
Swipe horizontally to see all 10 years
View savings breakdown
Cost per acre over time
Cover crop savings and offsets are small relative to total costs, so the lines appear close together. The second chart isolates them for easier reading.
Cover crop savings & offsets per acre over time
Each bar shows the annual total. Its colored sections show operating savings from fewer mowing passes and reduced herbicide use, plus any cost-share payment. Values below zero represent added costs.