Albert Lea Seed Cover Crop Newsletter - Summer 2020

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COVER CROP

CULTIVATOR SUMMER EDITION • 2020

COVER CROPS AFTER EARLY HARVEST: THE OPTIONS ARE WIDE By Matt Leavitt Organic Lead / Agronomist

Producers looking to maximize crop species diversity are faced with our short growing seasons in the Upper Midwest; it simply is challenging to plant a wide number of species after grain corn or soybeans. The after-earlyharvest planting window (July15 – August 15) is an optimum time to plant a diversity of cover crop species. Adapting your crop rotation to include small grains, silage corn, field peas, dry beans, canning vegetables, and forages is one of the best ways to create a wider window for seeding cover crops. As with any cover crop, you need to consider what your end goals are and what crops will come next in rotation. Changing your rotation may not be feasible for every operation, but below are some cover crop options for various crops.

AFTER SMALL GRAINS/CANNING VEGETABLES/SWEET CORN/DRY BEANS/FIELD PEAS General Recommendations: Time seedings with forecasted rains. Ensure good seed-to-soil contact. Know what cash crop is next in rotation to avoid potential issues. •

Summer Annuals for Biomass/Soil Building (seed up to August 15): SummerMax CC6, SoupMax CC10, Buckwheat, Sorghum/Sudan, Forage Sorghum, Cowpeas, Soybeans

Summer Annual for Forage (seed up to August 15): Sorghum/Sudan, Forage Sorghum, Sudangrass, Millets, Soybean

Cool-season Species for Soil Building (seed from August 1 – September 15): NitroMax CC1, ValueMax CC2, WinterMax CC3, GrazeMax CC4, AerialMax CC5, MultiMax CC7, FixMax CC11, Brassicas (radish, forage rape, turnips), Oats, Winter Rye, Peas, Annual Ryegrass

Cool-Season Species for Forage (seed from August 1 – September 15): NitroMax CC1, ValueMax CC2, WinterMax CC3, GrazeMax CC4, Oats, Winter Rye, Peas, Annual Ryegrass

UNDERSEEDING INTO SMALL GRAINS General Recommendations: Use small seed box on the grain drill. Watch seeding depth. A very common practice is to underseed spring small grains with clover, alfalfa, and mixes like our Plowdown Blend CC9 that are plowed down for fertility following harvest. Similarly, winter grains can be frost-seeded with small seeded legumes. The advantage of underseeding is that the cover crop is already established when the small grains come off which minimizes additional passes through the field.

AFTER SILAGE CORN General Recommendations: Time seedings with forecasted rains. Ensure good seed-to-soil contact. Know what cash crop is next in rotation to avoid potential issues. •

Cool-Season Species for Soil Building (Seed up to September 15): NitroMax CC1, ValueMax CC2, WinterMax CC3, GrazeMax CC4, AerialMax CC5, MultiMax CC7, FixMax CC11, Brassicas (radish, forage rape, turnips), Oats, Winter Rye, Peas, Annual Ryegrass

Cool-Season Species for Forage (Seed up to November 15): Winter Rye


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