Green Cover & Catch Crops

Philip Reck

Farm Manager

Walter Furlong Grain Ltd, Wexford

What are Cover Crops

• Grown to improve the soil.

• For grazing of livestock.

• Benefit to the subsequent crop.

• Add fertility.

• Reduce input costs.

• Reduce cultivations.

Where do Cover Crops fit in?

• GLAS

• EFA’s

• Equivalence.

• Improving rotations.

• Grazing.

• Improving soil structure.

The Benefits of Grazing Brassicas

•Able to produce high DM yield in short growing season to reduce feed deficits (winter/summer and autumn).

•Reduce feed costs.

•Reduce winter housing costs.

•Reduce labour and machinery requirements for feeding.

•Reduce machinery costs associated with silage and manure handling.

•Reduce exposure to forage shortages in droughts.

Feeding Systems• Do not allow sudden unrestricted access

-Introduce over 7-10 days

• Strip graze – long narrow breaks

- Maximum utilisation

- Back fence

- Place bales in crop during dry period.

• Provide run back

• Balance diet – feed fibre, feed minerals

• Ensure good water supply

Brassica crops are a versatile feeding solution to fill summer grazing gaps, extend autumn grazing and support out-wintering

systems

Fertiliser RequirementsCrop N

Index1

NIndex

2

NIndex

3

NIndex

4

PIndex

1

PIndex

2

PIndex

3

PIndex

4

Swedes 90 70 40 20 70 60 40 40

Kale 150 130 100 70 60 50 30 0

ForageRape

130 120 110 90 40 30 20 0

Potassium: No limits. Maintenance dress depending on indices. Brassicas have low K requirement.

Crop Variety Sowing time Seeding rate (per acre)

Time of Utilisation

Expected DM Yield (t DM/ha)

DM% CP%

Kale Maris Kestrel

May-June 2.5 – 3.0 kg* November-February

10-12 14-16 16-18

Hybrid Brassica

Redstart April – August 3.5-4.0 kg June –February

6-8 12-14 18-20

Forage Rape Stego

July – August 3.5-4.0 kg October –February

4-6 12-14 18-20

Swede Marian May-June 400 grams November-February

10-12 10-12 10-12

Stubble Turnip

Tyfon April –September

2.0 -3.0 kg June –February

3-5 8-10 18-20

Redstart Hybrid Rape/Kale

Benefits of cover crops

• Improved soil structure

• Better drainage• Reduced

compaction• Reduced leaching

of nitrogen• Retained moisture

• Increased soil biodiversity

• Increased worm activity

• Erosion reduction• Improved soil

health

Ploughed + Over-wintered stubble

• Ploughed soil

• Anaerobic conditions.

• Slumped soil.

• Poor infiltration of rain.

• Visible compaction layers.

Min-Till + Cover Crop

• Min Till 10 years• Cover cropped 5 years• Improvement in soil

structure.• Yield benefit from

nutrient cycling• Improved moisture

retention.• Improved soil biology• Infiltration of rain

Establishment of Cover Crops

• Carrier with Bio Drill.

• Light cultivation by discs, seed broadcast and rolled in by packer.

• Moisture conserved through rolling.

• Timely establishment.

Legume based cover crops

• Improved soil structure• Healthier soil biology based

on biodiversity, introduction of new species proven to perform

• Improved infiltration and water holding capacity with better drainage

• Fix nitrogen• Increased earthworm

numbers

Radish + Vetch + Winter Peas

Highly Aggressive Taproot of Radish Grows Through Compacted Soil

Extracts nutrients from deep in the profile

Opens permanent channels for crop roots to follow

Improves water infiltration, water holding capacity and drainage

O2 for supporting microbial life

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The deep rooting of cover crops

• Natural structuring of the soil.

• Roots maintain friable nature of the soil.

• Deep rooting species can break through compaction.

• Reduce cultivations.

Life Cycle of Cover Crops

Absorb Store

Air and water move freely

Release of nutrients

• Improves water infiltration, water holding capacity and drainage.

• Reduces nutrient leaching; an environmental management tool

• Reduces erosion and soil loss with dense cover during winter.

• Absorbs remaining nutrients, N, P, K, S + TE left after harvest.

• Holds nutrients through the winter.

• Releases stored nutrients to spring crops.

• Soils till easily and hold moisture for emerging crop.

• Enhanced water quality.

Summary: Cover Crops

Thank your for your time.

Its what’s below the surface that counts