Cover Crops

WHAT IS A COVER CROP?

A cover crop is a plant that is used primarily to slow erosion, improve soil health, enhance water availability, smother weeds, help control pests and diseases, increase biodiversity and bring a host of other benefits to your farm.

WHY COVER CROP?

Cover crops have also been shown to increase crop yields, break through a plow pan, add organic matter to the soil, improve crop diversity on farms and attract pollinators. There is an increasing body of evidence that growing cover crops increase resilience in the face of erratic and increasingly intensive rainfall, as well as under drought conditions.

LOCAL COVER CROP RECOMMENDATIONS?

FOR N SOURCE:
Red Clover, Hairy Vetch, Berseem Cover, and Sweet Clover
SOIL BUILDER:
Annual Ryegrass, Sweet Clover, Sorghum-sundangrass hybrid, and Rye
EROSION FIGHTER
Rye, Annual Ryegrass, Subterranean clover, oats
SUBSOIL LOOSENER
Sorghum-sundangrass hybrid, Sweet clover, Forage Radish
WEED FIGHTER
Sorghum-sundangrass hybrid, Rye, Annual Ryegrass, Buckwheat
PEST FIGHTER:
Rye, Sorghum-sundangrass hybrid, Rape