Biomass/Weed Suppression
Cover crops are an essential component of building healthy soils on the farm. Non-legume biomass/weed suppression cover crops can protect soil from erosion, contribute to organic matter formation, reduce weed pressure, and break recurring pest and disease cycles. Biomass/Green Manure cover crops do not fix nitrogen but are an essential part of a diverse crop rotation.
Tillage Radish®
- Improved oilseed radish bred specifically for long taproot
- Taproot improves soil tilth and loosens clays & hardpans
- Tillage Radish is an excellent N scavenger
- Will winterkill ; residues will break down completely following winter
- Very competitive with weeds
- Plant 6-10 weeks before a killing frost in the fall
- Excellent fit after small grains, silage corn, early soybeans or vegetables
- Seed 8-10 lbs/acre
Winter Rye
- The most winter-hardy fall-planted grain
- Thrives on all soil types including sandy & shallow soils
- Provides excellent weed competition and lots of biomass for green manure
- Will germinate down to 35°F
- Very good scavenger of N & other nutrients
- Excellent feed value as cut forage or single season grazing
- Great fit for a cover crop after small grains, corn silage, corn and soybeans
- Seed 50-100 lbs/acre
Tillage Rootmax Annual Ryegrass NEW!
- Improved, certified variety of annual ryegrass specifically for cover cropping
- Selected for deep roots that build soil structure & root 80% deeper than typical annual ryegrass
- Uniform stand & development for ease of control/kill
- Extensive root system scavenges more nutrients & aids in organic matter formation
- Plant August 1st - September 15th for fall cover cropping
- Drill 18 lbs/acre ; broadcast 20 lbs/acre (can be aerially seeded)
Kodiak Mustard NEW!
- Certified variety of non-GMO Brown Mustard specifically bred for cover cropping
- Excellent biomass production & rapid early growth
- Good competitive ability with weeds
- Very high level of plant glucosinolates that can suppress pathogenic soil fungi, nematodes, and other insects
- It is recommended to chop or mow the mustard down prior to incorporation to maximize suppressive effects
- Excellent before soybeans or after small grains & silage corn
- Do not allow plant to go to seed ;
- It is recommended to allow 2 to 3 weeks to pass between incorporating the mustard & planting your cash crop
- Frost seed March-April and/or seed August-September 1 for fall incorporation
- Seed 15-20 lbs/acre ; 1/2 to 1 in deep
Phacelia* New!
- Non-leguminous, annual broadleaf plant
- Excellent cold & drought tolerance (better than Buckwheat)
- Widely used as cover crop & bee forage in Europe
- Produces abundant biomass & conditions soil, leaving excellent structure & aggregation
- Utilizes excess N in the soil to prevent leaching
- Will winterkill in the upper-Midwest
- Seed must be planted; avoid broadcasting
- Drill 7-12 lbs/acre at 1/8 to ¼ in. depth
Oats
- Economical, fast growing and competitive spring grain
- Widely adapted to most soil types
- Quick biomass accumulation
- Oats use excess nutrients that would otherwise leach from soils
- Fibrous root system aids in building soil
- Easy to control by mechanical methods
- Excellent fit into any crop rotation
- Seed 2-3 bushels/acre straight (64-96 lbs)
Annual/Italian Ryegrass
- Annual, moderate height forage grass that is an excellent cover crop species
- Fast establishing; good cold tolerance
- Fibrous root system good for enhancing soil structure and building soil quality
- Good alternate use as forage grass and/or cover crop for alfalfa plantings
- Annual ryegrass will head out in seeding year ; ensure control before seed set
- Italian ryegrass will not head out
- Seed 5-15 lbs/acre ; use lower seeding rate if seeding alfalfa
Buckwheat
- Broadleaved summer annual
- Fast establishment, thrives in poor soils
- An excellent weed suppressor & soil builder
- Can produce 2-3 tons of dry matter in 6-8 weeks
- Not frost tolerant
- Avoid overly droughty soils
- Attracts beneficial insects and pollinators
- Seed 45-100 lbs/acre
Sorghum-Sudangrass
- Vigorous, leafy and rapid growing summer annual grass
- Cross between Sorghum & Sudangrass
- Abundant, tall growth (10-12' tall given adequate moisture)
- Thrives in heat
- Excellent competitor with perennial & annual weeds
- Good alternate use as forage; superior tonnage
- Seed after danger of last frost
- Seed 25-35 lbs/acre
Dwarf Essex Rape
- Succulent, leafy brassica excellent for hog, sheep & young stock grazing
- Persists well after the first frost
- May be seeded any time from early spring until August
- Should be ready to pasture in 6 to 8 weeks
- Keep it cut or grazed down so it doesn’t get tall and woody
- To fatten hogs, additional grain is usually needed
- Seed 4-8 lbs/acre, ¼ to ½ inch deep