Managing Cover Crops Profitably - Valley Crops Home

pH Preferred. The pH range in which a species
can be expected to perform reasonably well.
Best Established. The season in which a cover
crop is best suited for planting and early growth.
Note that this can vary by region and that it’s
important to ascertain local planting date recommendations
for specific cover crops.
Season: F = Fall ; Sp = Spring; Su = Summer;
W = Winter
Time: E = Early; L = Late; M = Mid
Minimum Germination Temperature. The
minimum soil temperature (F) generally required
for successful germination and establishment.
CHART 3B: PLANTING
Depth. The recommended range of seeding
depth (in inches),to avoid either overexposure or
burying too deeply.
Rate. Recommended seeding rate for drilling and
broadcasting a pure stand in lb./A, bu/A. and
oz./100 sq.ft., assuming legal standards for germination
percentage. Seeding rate will depend on
the cover crop’s primary purpose and other factors.
See the narratives for more detail about
establishing a given cover crop. Pre-inoculated
(“rhizo-coated”) legume seed weighs about onethird
more than raw seed. Increase seeding rate
by one-third to plant the same amount of seed per
area.
Cost. Material costs (seed cost only) in dollars per
pound, based usually on a 50-lb. bag as of fall
1997. Individual species vary markedly with supply
and demand. Always confirm seed price and
availability before ordering, and before planning
to use less common seed types.
Cost/A. Seed cost per acre based on the midpoint
between the high and low of reported seed prices
as of fall 1997 and the midpoint recommended
seeding rate for drilling and broadcasting. Your
cost will depend on actual seed cost and seeding
rate. Estimate excludes associated costs such as
labor, fuel and equipment.
Inoculant Type. The recommended inoculant
for each legume. Your seed supplier may only
carry one or two common inoculants. You may
need to order inoculant in advance. See Seed
Suppliers, p. 166.
Reseeds. Rates the likelihood of a cover crop reestablishing
through self-reseeding if it’s allowed
to mature and set seed.Aggressive tillage will bury
seed and reduce germination. Ratings assume the
tillage system has minimal effect on reseeding.
Dependable reseeding ability is valued in some
orchard, dryland grain and cotton systems, but
can cause weed problems in other systems. See
the narratives for more detail.
CHARTS 4A AND 4B
These charts provide relative ratings of other
management considerations—benefits and possible
drawbacks—that could affect your selection
of cover crop species.
The till-kill rating assumes tillage at an appropriate
stage. The mow-kill ratings assume mowing
at flowering,but before seedheads start maturing.
See sectional narratives for details.
Ratings are based largely on a combination of
published research and observations of farmers
who have grown specific covers.Your experience
with a given cover could be influenced by sitespecific
factors, such as your soil condition, crop
rotation, proximity to other farms, weather
extremes, etc.
CHART 4A: POTENTIAL ADVANTAGES
Soil Impact. Assesses a cover’s relative ability to
loosen subsoil, make soil P and K more readily
available to crops, or improve topsoil.
Soil Ecology. Rates a cover’s ability to fight
pests by suppressing or limiting damage from
CHARTS 45