Cover Crops: 10 Easy ideas for

Forage and Pasture

Dr. Bill Deen U of G

Jack Kyle, Retired

OMAFRA

Trends in the industry: acreage, yield, research

Tame hay,

harvested

area by

province,

1970-2012

Source: Statistics Canada. Table 001-0010 - Estimated areas, yield, production and

average farm price of principal field crops, in metric units, annual (accessed:

November 08, 2014)

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

198

1198

2198

3198

4198

5198

6198

7198

8198

9199

0199

1199

2199

3199

4199

5199

6199

7199

8199

9200

0200

12

00

22

00

4200

5200

5200

6200

7200

8200

9201

0201

1201

2201

3

Rye Beans OatsSpring wheat Barley Winter wheatCorn (grain + fodder) Soybean

% harvested area 1981-2013 (OMAFRA, Field statistics 2014)

Gaudin A et al., PLOS one (2014) DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0113261

% total harvested areas USDA-NASS, 2014

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

19

81

19

83

19

85

19

87

19

89

19

91

19

93

19

95

19

97

19

99

20

01

20

04

20

05

20

07

20

09

20

11

20

13

Michigan

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%19

81

19

83

19

85

19

87

19

89

19

91

19

93

19

95

19

97

19

99

20

01

20

04

20

05

20

07

20

09

20

11

20

13

Minnesota

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

19

81

19

83

19

85

19

87

19

89

19

91

19

93

19

95

19

97

19

99

20

01

20

04

20

05

20

07

20

09

20

11

20

13

Iowa

Corn/soybean rotation is associated with • Reduced yield and greater yield instability

• Lowest soil organic matter/poorest soil structure

• Increased nitrogen requirement

• Reduced input use efficiency

• Increased GHG emission

• Reduced opportunity to incorporate cover crops

• Reduced opportunity for sustainable biomass removal

• Reduced profitability

Meyer-Aurich et al, 2006a; Meyer-Aurich et al 2006b; Sanscartier et al, 2013;

Munkholm et al, 2012; Munkholm et al, 2013; Muellera et al, 2009; Gaudin et al,

2013; Gaudin et al. 2014; Gaudin et al. 2015, Kludze et al. 2013.; Van Eerd et al..

2014

Why Cover Crops for Forage?

• Perennial Forages are Best Option

– Feed

– Soil Health

• Finding the Best Fit for Your Farm

– Soil Type

– Feed Needs – class of livestock

Why Cover Crops for Forage?

• Living Soil Cover is Beneficial

– Soil microbial activity

– Reduced erosion – ground cover

• Opportunity for Extra Feed

– Stored feed

– Pasture – all nutrients stay in field

FALL SEEDED WINTER CEREAL

WINTER CEREAL

EARLY JUNE

MID JUNE

LATE JULY

MID AUGUST

MID SEPT

0

10

20

30

40

SEASONAL DISTRIBUTION OF PASTURE YIELDS

BARLEY

OATS

ITALIAN RYEGRASS

WINTER CEREALS

OF ANNUALS

Picture taken by Mike Buis

#1 Red Clover under-seeded

to wheat

#1 Red Clover under-seeded to wheat

• Inexpensive

• N credit

• Good for soil quality

• Single cut vs double

cut

• Yield – 0-3.0 t ha-1

• Non-uniformity risk

• Crop insurance

Red Clover Frost Seeded Into Winter Wheat

Single cut vs double cut

• Double cut:

– early blooming

• Single cut:

– late blooming

– higher root to

shoot ratio

– less competitive in

thin wheat stands

Non-uniform red clover stands

• Still a grazing

opportunity

• Limited impact of

grazing on

subsequent N

credit

#2 - Oats, oats/peas, triticale, or

barley after winter wheat

• Yield determined by species, N

rate, date of planting and

harvest date

• Oats(2.6t)>oats/peas (2.5t)>

triticale(1.8t) > barley(1.0t)

• Oats – yields as high as 6.0 t

ha-1 reported

• 50 kg N ha-1 - 30-40% yield

increase

• 0-40% yield increase with

delayed harvest flag to

boot/anthesis

Moisture

• Flag leaf: 83-86%

• Boot-Anthesis: 70-78%

Potassium - 1.7-2.4%

#3 Turnips or oilseed radish

following winter wheat

• Soil benefits

• Uncertain N credit the

following year

• Oilseed radish vs

brand names

• Planting timeliness

• Large N response

• Winterkills

• Potential to enter tiles

• Yield 1-3.5 t ha-1

Planted August 10 -

manure applied Planted August 10 -

no manure applied

Oilseed radish vs

Tillage Radish, Nitro

Radish….

• Oilseed radish goes

to seed in approx. six

weeks … production

and quality decline

• Brand name radish -

does not go to seed in

the fall

Forage Rape

• Summer seeded has some fall frost tolerance

Grazing Turnips

Turnips for Fall Pasture

#4 Annual rye after corn

silage or soybean

Corn

• Herbicide residual?

Soybean

• More consistent than pre

leaf drop planting

• Herbicide residual?

Grazing/forage and soil

and N benefit

• Overwinter

• Delayed planting of next

crop

Spring forage/grazing - must overwinter

and delay subsequent crop planting

• Biomass at year end

– Corn or soy harvest date

– Planting timeliness

– Fertility

• Snow cover and temp?

• Annual ryegrass type

–Westerwold < Italian

- diploid Italian > tetraploid Italian

• N application in spring

• Delay planting

#5 Cereal rye, winter triticale,

winter wheat or winter barley

after corn silage or soybean

Corn

• Herbicide residual?

Soybean

• More consistent than pre

leaf drop planting

• Herbicide residual?

Grazing/forage and soil

and N benefit

• Overwinter

• Delayed planting of next

crop

Cereal Rye • Can be planted later

• Excellent nitrogen

scavenger

• Won’t head out until

following spring

• Will not winter kill

• Requires tillage prior to

sorghum-sudan or corn

Great Spring Growth

Pasture or Silage

Fall Rye – Spring Grazing

• Will give good grazing next spring, not much this fall

#6 – Annual ryegrass or red

clover inter-seeded into corn

/corn silage

#6 – Annual ryegrass or red clover inter-

seeded into corn /corn silage

Corn

• V6-V9

• Restricts herbicide options

• Special equipment required?

• Variable stand and biomass in fall,

particularly after grain corn

Overwintering, grazing/forage,

soil and N benefit

• Generally better with interseeding

than post harvest planting

Yield estimates

• Triticale (3.4t) > rye=wheat (2.5t)

• Boot (2t)<flag (2.4t)<anthesis (3.5 t)

• 75-80% moisture

#7 - Corn and corn stover

Standing Corn For Summer to Winter Grazing

#8 Sorghum sudan grass

Sorghum-Sudan

#9 Multi mixes 5-?? Species

• Lots of interest in multispecies cover crops,

proposed advantages include over-yielding,

enhanced soil benefits, increased N

credit…benefits are largely unproven although

they probably exist, BUT magnitude of benefit

may not exceed the added cost

#10 – Perennial forage!!

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