www.sare.org publications managing-cover-crops-profitably nonlegume-cover-crops cereal-rye Cereal Rye Cereal Rye (Secale cereale) Also called: cereal rye, winter rye, grain rye Type: cool season annual cereal grain Roles: scavenge excess N, prevent erosion, add organic matter, suppress weeds Mix with: legumes, grasses or other cereal grains See charts for ranking and management summary. The hardiest of cereals, rye can be seeded later in fall […]
www.sare.org publications managing-cover-crops-profitably nonlegume-cover-crops oats Oats Oats (Avena sativa) Also called: spring oats Type: cool season annual cereal Roles: suppress weeds, prevent erosion, scavenge excess nutrients, add biomass, nurse crop Mix with: clover, pea, vetch, other legumes or other small grains See charts for ranking and management summary. If you need a low-cost, reliable fall cover that winterkills in Hardiness Zone […]
www.sare.org publications managing-cover-crops-profitably nonlegume-cover-crops buckwheat Buckwheat Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) Type: summer or cool-season annual broadleaf grain Roles: quick soil cover, weed suppressor, nectar for pollinators and beneficial insects, topsoil loosener, rejuvenator for low-fertility soils Mix with: sorghum-sudangrass hybrids, sunn hemp See charts, pp. 66 to 72, for ranking and management summary. Buckwheat is the speedy short-season cover crop. It establishes, blooms […]
www.sare.org publications managing-cover-crops-profitably nonlegume-cover-crops brassicas-and-mustards Brassicas and Mustards Brassicas and Mustards Type: Annual (usually winter or spring; summer use possible) Roles: Prevent erosion, suppress weeds and soilborne pests, alleviate soil compaction and scavenge nutrients Mix with: Other brassicas or mustards, small grains or crimson clover Species: Brassica napus, Brassica rapa, Brassica juncea, Brassica hirta, Raphanus sativus, Sinapsis alba See charts for ranking and […]
www.sare.org publications managing-cover-crops-profitably nonlegume-cover-crops barley Barley Barley (Hordeum vulgare) Type: cool season annual cereal grain Roles: prevent erosion, suppress weeds, scavenge excess nutrients, add organic matter Mix with: annual legumes, ryegrass or other small grains See charts for ranking and management summary. Inexpensive and easy to grow, barley provides exceptional erosion control and weed suppression in semi-arid regions and in light […]
www.sare.org publications managing-cover-crops-profitably nonlegume-cover-crops annual-ryegrass Annual Ryegrass Annual Ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) Also called: Italian ryegrass Type: cool season annual grass Roles: prevent erosion, improve soil structure and drainage, add organic matter, suppress weeds, scavenge nutrients Mix with: legumes, grasses See charts for ranking and management summary. If you want to build soil without investing much in a cover crop, consider annual ryegrass. […]
www.sare.org publications managing-cover-crops-profitably nonlegume-cover-crops Nonlegume Cover Crops OVERVIEW OF NONLEGUME COVER CROPS Commonly used nonlegume cover crops include: Annual cereals (rye, wheat, barley, oats) Annual or perennial forage grasses such as ryegrass Warm-season grasses like sorghum-sudangrass Brassicas and mustards Nonlegume cover crops are most useful for: Scavenging nutrients—especially N—left over from a previous crop Reducing or preventing erosion Producing large amounts of […]
www.sare.org publications managing-cover-crops-profitably charts Introduction to Charts The four comprehensive charts that follow can help orient you to the major cover crops most appropriate to your needs and region. Bear in mind that choice of cultivar, weather extremes and other factors may affect a cover crop’s performance in a given year. Chart 1: Top Regional Cover Crop Species This chart lists up […]
www.sare.org publications managing-cover-crops-profitably managing-cover-crops-in-conservation-tillage-systems Managing Cover Crops in Conservation Tillage Systems by Kipling Balkcom, Harry Schomberg, Wayne Reeves and Andy Clark with Louis Baumhardt, Hal Collins, Jorge Delgado, Sjoerd Duiker, Tom Kaspar and Jeffrey Mitchell Introduction to Cover Crops Conservation tillage is defined as a system that leaves enough crop residue on the soil surface after planting to provide 30% soil cover, the amount needed to […]
www.sare.org publications managing-cover-crops-profitably crop-rotation-with-cover-crops Crop Rotation with Cover Crops Crop Rotation with Cover Crops Readers’ note: > indicates progression to another crop; / indicates a mixture of crops growing at the same time. One of the biggest challenges of cover cropping is to fit cover crops into your current rotations, or to develop new rotations that take full advantage of their benefits. This section […]