Some farmers in Pennsylvania and New York grow winter annual small grains for forage before and after corn silage. Producing two crops in succession, or double-cropping, offers multiple benefits such as reducing soil erosion; improving nutrient retention and weed suppression; and enhancing soil structure and biological activity.

With nutrient pollution and water quality issues gaining attention in the media, as well as rising costs of fertilizers, retaining nutrients from fall manure is both economically advantageous and environmentally imperative.