Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Cover Crops
Cover Crops
Competitiveness
Tolerance to adverse weather & soil
Reduces insect pests Reduces soil compaction Reduces disease organisms and
window
environment protection function? Will wildlife need it for forage, coverage? Weed suppression? Does the soil need organic matter? Pest suppression?
Conventional seeding
Plow/disk
Broadcast/drill
type/conditions Soil test and follow recommendations Use good, live seed Control weeds as much as possible
Wet
YES: Tall Fescue, Timothy, P. Ryegrass, Red Clover NO: All the rest
Legumes
Alfalfa
Perennial legume High nitrogen producer
80 lb/acre
Expensive to establish
High fertility requirements
Deep taproot can be hard to kill Does not tolerate acidic or wet soils Seedlings are not competitive with other
Annual Sweetclover
Annual legume Poor tolerance to cold Deep taproot Tremendous summer growth Seed in March, rate 10 to 15 lb/A Needs pH at or above 6.0 Soil builder, fertility source, subsoil
erosion
Cowpeas
Summer annual legume Good short season green manure crop Good nitrogen fixer, 40 lb/A Seed at a rate of 30-40 lb/A Sow after danger of frost Attract many beneficial insects that prey
on pests Suppress weeds, build soil, & prevent erosion Works well in sandy & clay soils
Crimson Clover
Winter annual legume Adapted to light, well drained soils
with adequate pH (above 6.0) Good nitrogen fixer, 80 lb/A Seed 20-30 lb/A in late Aug. thru Oct.
Use inoculant or pre-inoculated seed
too much fall growth occurs Will winter kill if planted too late in fall Excellent for beneficial insects, bees & wildlife
Red Clover
Short-lived perennial legume Very good N producer, 80 lb/A Seeding rate of 6-15 lb/A
Use inoculant or pre-inoculated seed
August to mid-October Excellent food plot for beneficial insects & wildlife
White Clover
Perennial legume Ladino clover is a tall variety Common clover is lower growing Widely adapted, prefers higher pH 6.4 Long-lived with low maintenance Not very competitive with grasses unless
Hairy Vetch
Winter annual legume Thick vines, climbing growth Great N producer, 100 lb/A Best suited to well drained
soils Beneficial insect habitat Tolerates a wide range of pH Seed 20-25 lb/A in Sept & Oct
Hairy Vetch
Mixes well with Crimson clover
Grasses
Annual Ryegrass
Winter annual grass Germinates quickly Vigorous, competitive Excellent forage Tolerates acidity (pH 5.5), low fertility,
and poor drainage Forms dense cover, sod can create short term planting problems Seed 20-30 lb/A in Sept & Oct Interplant with clover Reseeds often difficult to eliminate
Barley
Winter annual grass (small
grain) Not as tall as other small grains, but does produce an abundance of growth Not tolerant of wet soils, or late planting Seed 90-120 lb/A, mid-Sept to early Oct
Cereal Rye
Winter annual Grows rapidly in Spring, deep rooted Very tolerant of low fertility & pH Used as weed suppressing mulch Reported to have some alleopathy,
problem w/ some small seeded crops??? Most winter hardy of annual grasses Best at recovering (recycling nutrients) Seed 60-120 lb/A, in late Sept to late Nov
Oats
Winter annual Excellent forage Great for quick growth Used primarily as a
companion crop Good weed suppression Seed 90-120 lb/A in Sept through Oct Excellent food plot for wildlife
Orchardgrass
Perennial grass Competes well in mixture with
other grasses and legumes Excellent cover for wildlife Preferred conservation cover for fallow fields, helps to suppress weeds Easy to establish Seed 15-20 lb/A, late Aug to early Sept
sorghum x sudangrass Tall growing, living mulch Produces abundance of dry matter Improves soil structure Growth can be tough to deal with Has some alleopathic properties Seed 30-40 lb/A after the danger of frost
Wheat
Winter annual grass
dry matter Seed at a rate of 60-120 lb/A from mid-Sept to early Nov Excellent food plot for wildlife
Buckwheat
Summer annual (broadleaf plant) Has no frost tolerance Tolerates wide range of soil
Seed 50-60 lb/A from Spring to Aug Turn in before seeds set Beneficial insect habitat Poor weed suppression Excellent food plot for wildlife
Brassicas
Rapeseed, mustard, radishes, turnips Grow on well drained soils, wide pH
range Rapid fall growth Great biomass production, decompose quickly Deep taproot (reduce soil compaction) Release toxins that work against bacteria, fungi, insects, nematodes & weeds Excellent food plot for wildlife
Grass/Legume Mixtures
Perennial Seeding
crimson clover, red clover, or white clover + annual or perennial ryegrass, or orchardgrass
Grass/Legume Mixtures
Annual Seeding Small grain + crimson clover Small grain + hairy vetch Barley + crimson clover
cowpeas
Alleopatic for weed suppression
Cereal rye, brassicas, oats, barley, buckwheat,
sorghum/sudangrass
Attract beneficial insects
Buckwheat, sweet clover, red clover
Grain Drill
Broadcast Seeders
before planting
How to kill?
Tillage Mowing Rolling
Living Mulch
In Summary
Selection of cover crop
Goals?
Legumes N fixing Grasses organic matter, recycle nutrients,
reduce soil compaction Other crops weed suppression, attract beneficials, wildlife food plots