Real impacts of cover crop cocktails

SWCS 2014COVER CROP COCKTAILS

HOWSEEDINGCONCEPTSAFFECTTHEFINALSTAND

2014 La Crosse Seed – Soil First™ Premium Cover Crop Seedwww.laxseed.com

SEEDING CONCEPTS

FACTORSDICTATINGtheFINALSTAND

• Competition• Timing/CalendarhasaHUGErole• Typeofseedbeingplanted(seedsize)• Weather


Seeding PURE or MIXED STANDS

PureStand• Purestandsareusuallyeasiertomanage

• Thefollowingcashcropcouldrespondmoreuniformlyacrossafield

• Managingpestsmightbeeasier

MixedStand• Symbioticrelationshipsallowsinglespeciestoperformbetterinamix

• Providemultiplebenefitsthatasinglecovercropcannot

• Ifpartofastanddoesnotperform,otherpartsmaycompensate



Competition / Emergence

• Somespeciessimplygerminatefasterthanothers– Brassicas,somelegumes,oats

• Differentspeciesresponddifferentlytolongerdaylength(likesoybeans)– Radishplantedearly– watchout!– Annualryegrassplantedearly– nothing……


Look to the Calendar

• Earlierintheseason,plantingsmaynotworkwell– Toomuchcompetitionfromcashcrop(light&water)

– Toomuchweedcompetition– Cocktails – somespeciesinamix(largerseededspecies)willperformbetterinmoisturethaninhot&dry


Look to the Calendar

• Laterintheseason,plantingsmaynotworkwell– Notenoughwater/toomuchwater– Adequateseed‐to‐soilcontactmaybethreatened

– Cocktails – somespeciesinamix(largerseededspecies)needadequategrowingtimepriortofirstfrosttomaximizegrowthcomparedtoothersthatgrowlongerintothefall




Seed Size

• Small…– Teffgrass 1,300,000– Balansaclover 500,000– Turnips 220,000

• Large…– Fieldorwinterpeas 2,000– 3,000– Buckwheat 15,000– HairyVetch 16,000– 18,000


Seed Size

• Seedsizeusuallydictatesseedingdepth– Balansaclover=1/8”to¼”– Cerealrye=¾”to1”– Sorghumsudan=¾”to1½”– Usingtherightseedingequipment

(&managementafter)iscritical– Seedplates– Properpacking/rolling– Moisturealwayshelps!

• Smallerseedscanseparateinabag???


Weather

• Rainfallcanmakeallthedifference– Smallerseededspeciesmaynotgetestablished

• Coldtemps=favorscerealgrains• Warmtemps=favorsbrassicas,many

legumes,warmseasonannuals

• Justbeaware!Ifsomethingdoesn’tlookright,it’sprobablycompetition.


We’re here to help!

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Environment

Real impacts of cover crop cocktails