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North Dakota Cover Crop Recipe – Starting with Cover Crops

Midwest Cover Crops Council (MCCC-102)

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This publication is intended to provide a starting point for farmers who are new to growing cover crops. With experience, farmers may fine-tune the use of cover crops for their systems.

Introduction

Fitting cover crops into rotation can be challenging depending on which crops are grown. That challenge is further enhanced by a short growing season in this region. If you have a small grain or other short-season crop in rotation, it is easier to fit a cover crop after an early crop harvest. Farmers interested in using cover crops could consider including small grains in rotation to create that window of opportunity for cover crops when first starting this practice.

It is highly recommended that each producer identify specific goals for each field/farm and choose cover crops that can provide functions to achieve those goals. Functions and goals of cover crops for a basic recipe are described in Table 1.

Basic Starting Points for Common Crop Sequences

The following mixes are selected for North Dakota because they should be low risk for herbicide carryover injury and have a low chance for becoming weedy. The general recipe includes a grass (such as cereal rye and oats) and a brassica (most commonly radish). Producers can add flax to either if a three-species mix is desired. Recommended seeding rates for these mixes are included in Table 2.

  • Spring or winter wheat–soybean: Cereal rye, radish, flax – Early fall harvest of wheat broadens options and will provide more benefit. Consider using a stripper head for wheat to leave residue standing and avoid a mat, or straight cut wheat as high as possible. Covers should be drilled immediately after field is harvested to maximize time for growth. Cereal rye, radish, and flax mixture will help manage soil moisture, cover the soil, promote infiltration, and provide food for beneficial insects. Cereal rye should be monitored closely for moisture use in the spring. If the seedbed is drying too quickly, the rye needs to be terminated. If there is excess moisture, the rye can continue to grow and soybean can be planted into the living cereal rye (called planting green). Terminate the cereal rye with a full rate of herbicide. Make sure disk openers on planting equipment are sharp to cut through residue.
  • Corn-soybean: Cereal rye or barley, and radish – Given limited to no growing time following corn harvest, interseeding of corn is preferred between V5- to V8-stage corn, depending on available equipment clearance and access to the field. Broadcast or aerial seeding of cereal rye or barley, and radish will help manage water and salinity, compete with weed pressures, and promote soil aggregation. Manage corn residue both on the back of the combine and by using a non-chopping head to leave cornstalks standing. The mat of cornstalks created by a chopping head will result in wet soil conditions the following spring and cornstalks blowing across the field over winter. Cereal rye will overwinter and provide spring cover crop growth and water management.
Figure 1. Field with cereal rye aerially seeded into standing soybean (Abbey Wick)
Figure 1. Field with cereal rye aerially seeded into standing soybean (Abbey Wick)
  • Soybean-corn: Barley and radish – Covers should be drilled immediately after field is harvested to maximize time for growth. Barley and radish have some cold tolerance. Having these cover crops will help reduce erosion, manage salinity, and promote infiltration. Cereal rye prior to corn is higher risk and requires specific management in the spring. Broadcasting cover crops into soybean prior to leaf drop is also an option, but this requires more experience to get timing correct to avoid possible smearing on the beans from green material.
  • Soybean-soybean: Cereal rye or barley – Covers should be drilled immediately after field is harvested to maximize time for growth. Cereal rye or barley will help reduce erosion, and cereal rye will overwinter to use moisture in the spring.
Four Tips for Using Cereal Rye
  1. Depending on conditions, cereal rye can be seeded late into the fall, with a majority of growth occurring in the spring.
  2. Increase rates with later seeding dates.
  3. Use higher rates when broadcasting versus drilling.
  4. Terminate 14 days in advance of planting corn, and never use cereal rye before a wheat or barley crop.

Table 1. Functions and goals of cover crops

FunctionsDescription and GoalsCover Crops
Soil BuildersCrops with fibrous root systems add organic matter to the soil and build aggregation.Cereal rye, oat, barley, triticale
Nitrogen FixersLegume crops fix atmospheric N2 by symbiotic association with soil bacteria.Forage pea, field pea, winter Austrian pea, faba bean, clovers
Nutrient Capture or ReleasePlants with a taproot that reaches 4-6 ft. deep capture nutrients lost from the crop rooting zone. Flax also releases P from the soil, increasing its availability.Radish, rapeseed, flax
Soil LoosenersThe thick taproot of brassicas reduces soil compaction and increases water infiltration.Radish, rapeseed
Soil Erosion PreventerCereals cover the soil in late fall, and winter-hardy cereals provide soil cover and protection in the spring.Cereal rye, barley, oat
Weed SuppressionCrops release allelopathic compounds, reducing the growth of weeds.Cereal rye
Water ManagementWinter-hardy crops use moisture early in the spring.Cereal rye

Table 2. Seeding rate for crops in mixes or alone

Crop SequenceCropsPlanting MethodSeeding Rate* (lbs./acre)
Wheat-soybeanCereal rye, radish, flaxDrill30, 2, 2
Corn-soybeanCereal rye or barley, and radishAerial broadcast50 or 50, 2
Soybean-cornBarley, radishDrill30, 2
Soybean-soybeanCereal rye or barleyDrill30 or 30

*These seeding rates are based on high-quality seed with germination rates of 85-98% and purity >90%.

Resources

North Dakota State University Soil Health

Midwest Cover Crops Council: North Dakota

Cover Crop Selector Tool  — available from the Midwest Cover Crops Council

Authors

Abbey Wick, Department of Soil Science, North Dakota State University, email: [email protected]; Marisol Berti, Department of Plant Sciences, North Dakota State University, email: [email protected]; Lee Briese, Centrol Crop Consulting, Jamestown, ND, email: [email protected]

Reviewers and Contributors

Shalamar Armstrong, Purdue University; Tom Kaspar, USDA–Agricultural Research Service (retired); Eileen Kladivko, Purdue University; Anna Morrow, Midwest Cover Crops Council; DeAnn Presley, Kansas State University; Vaughn Sothman, Sharp Brothers Seed Co., Kansas; Anne Verhallen, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

The Midwest Cover Crops Council (www.https://www.midwestcovercrops.org) aims to facilitate widespread adoption of cover crops throughout the Midwest by providing educational/outreach resources and programs, conducting new research, and communicating about cover crops to the public.
Funding for this project was provided by McKnight Foundation.

Revised November 2018

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or a part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. ©2018 by MCCC. All rights reserved.

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Indiana Cover Crop Recipe – Post Corn, Going to Soybean: Use Cereal Rye

Midwest Cover Crops Council (MCCC-100)
Purdue Extension (AY-356-W)

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This publication is intended to provide a starting point for farmers who are new to growing cover crops. With experience, farmers may fine-tune the use of cover crops for their systems.

Introduction

The following recipe provides an introductory approach to integrating a cover crop into a corn-soybean rotation. Planting a cover crop ahead of a soybean cash crop is often the easiest way to introduce cover crops into your rotation.

Planning and Preparation

• Planning—Educate yourself. Start small. Be timely. Prioritize management based on your purpose and objectives.
• Corn hybrid and planting—If possible, plant the preceding corn crop early and use an early maturity corn hybrid. One strategy is to use cover crops on the field you usually harvest first, on sloping ground, or on a field where you can watch it regularly, and to plant your earliest maturity hybrid on that field.
• Residual corn herbicides—Cereal rye can be seeded and a successful stand will occur in the fall following most of the spring-applied residuals used in corn. However, if cereal rye will be grazed or fed to livestock, there are some restrictions (see Resources section).
• Seed purchase—Order cereal rye seed early. Named varieties can produce substantially more growth or more predictable growth and maturity, but they are more expensive than VNS (variety not stated) seed. Start with VNS seed with a good germination rate purchased from a reputable seed dealer. Note that this means the seed has been cleaned, tested for germination, and has a seed tag even though it is VNS.

Fall Work

• Corn harvest—Harvest fields where cereal rye is to be planted as early as possible.
• Tillage or no-tillage—To allow for adequate cover crop growth, it is best or easier if no full-width tillage is planned for after rye planting or before intended rye termination date. Thus, it is easier to integrate cover crops into no-till or strip-till systems.
• Timing of planting—Ideally, plant cereal rye as soon after harvest as possible and before two weeks after the 50% frost date. In northern Indiana, this would be before Nov. 10; in southern Indiana, before Nov. 25. Use the Selector Tool for more precise dates for your county.
• Seeding rate—Drilled seeding rate: 45–60 lbs./acre. Broadcast with shallow incorporation: 50–65 lbs./acre. These rates are based on high-quality seed with germination rates of 85–98%.
• Planting method—Drill to 0.75–1.50 inches deep or broadcast with shallow incorporation. An air-seeder mounted on a vertical tillage tool can also be used.
• Fertility or liming—If applying P, K, or lime, complete the application prior to the seeding operation or apply to the growing rye before the ground freezes. If it is necessary to inject manure, low-disturbance injectors are available that will cause minimal damage to the cereal rye. Surface application of liquid manure on top of the rye is not recommended. Surface broadcast of dry manure or litter should be done prior to seeding, but 4 tons or less can be applied to growing cereal rye with minimal damage by using modern spreading equipment that provides even distribution.

Figure 1: Terminate cereal rye growth when approximately 6 inches in height (shown here). (Eileen Kladivko)
Figure 1: Terminate cereal rye growth when approximately 6 inches in
height (shown here). (Eileen Kladivko)
Spring Work

• Scouting—In the spring, scout your cereal rye cover crop to determine how well it is growing and its coverage. But if rainfall is below normal, scout also to monitor soil moisture in case earlier termination is needed.
• Termination timing—Terminate the cereal rye in the spring when plants are 6 to 12 inches tall and actively growing or about two weeks before planting soybean— whichever comes first. Many growers will successfully plant soybean into terminated cereal rye much taller than 12 inches, especially if weed control is a primary purpose, but new cover crop users should terminate when the cereal rye is smaller (see Figure 1).
• Termination herbicide—Cereal rye can easily be terminated with a full rate of glyphosate (minimum of 1 lb. acid equivalent [ae]/acre) after dormancy breaks in the spring. Effectiveness and rapidity of termination improves if rye is rapidly growing and air temperatures are warmer. Larger rye, rye past the boot stage, or rye sprayed during cooler weather can be more difficult to kill or will die more slowly. Be careful of metribuzen and metribuzen premixes antagonizing glyphosate if weather is cool and cloudy near the application date.
• Termination modifications for dry weather—Watch the weather and be ready to modify your termination plans. In a dry spring, the cereal rye cover crop has the potential to use moisture that the cash crop will need, so terminate cover crops sooner to allow rainfall to make up the deficit.
• Termination modifications for wet weather—In a wet spring, when it has been very difficult to get into the fields to spray, be ready to take advantage of any break in the weather and/or use low axle weight sprayers. If projected soybean planting is less than 10 days away and the rye is tall, then it often works better to spray within a day or two of planting. It is usually better to plant either into brown, dead rye plants or into standing green plants rather than into large, dying, yellow/green (“rubbery”) cereal rye plants that have fallen on the soil surface and formed a mat. See Purdue Extension publication AY-353-W (in Resources section) for more details.
• Soybean planting—It is usually best to no-till plant soybean into the dead/dry or standing cereal rye cover crop. Almost all modern planters and drills are fully capable of planting soybean into a cereal rye cover crop. Check planting depth and seed furrow closure shortly after beginning to plant into the cover crop residue as usually some adjustments are needed.
• Scouting—After soybean planting, scout for soybean emergence and population. Additionally, scout for weeds since substantial cereal rye residue can often delay emergence of annual weeds, which may delay the application of post-emergence herbicides.

Resources

Cover Crop Selector Tool  — available from the Midwest Cover Crops Council
Managing Cover Crops: An Introduction to Integrating Cover Crops into a Corn-Soybean Rotation (Purdue Extension publication AY-353-W)
Residual Herbicides and Fall Cover Crop Establishment (Purdue Extension Weed Science publication)
Terminating Cover Crops: Successful Cover Crop Termination with Herbicides (Purdue Extension publication WS-50-W)
Recommended Cover Crop Seeding Methods and Tools (Agronomy Technical Notes)—available from the USDA–Natural Resources Conservation Service

Authors

Eileen Kladivko, Purdue University; Shalamar Armstrong, Purdue University; and Anna Morrow, Midwest Cover Crops Council

Reviewers and Contributors

Marisol Berti, North Dakota State University; Barry Fisher, USDA-NRCS; William Johnson, Purdue University; Tom Kaspar, USDA–Agricultural Research Service (retired); DeAnn Presley, Kansas State University; Vaughn Sothman, Sharp Brothers Seed Co., Kansas; and Anne Verhallen, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

The Midwest Cover Crops Council (www.https://www.midwestcovercrops.org) aims to facilitate widespread adoption of cover crops throughout the Midwest by providing educational/outreach resources and programs, conducting new research, and communicating about cover crops to the public.
Funding for this project was provided by McKnight Foundation.

Revised May 2019

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or a part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. ©2019 by MCCC. All rights reserved.

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Indiana Cover Crop Recipe – Post Soybean, Going to Corn: Use Oats/Radish

Midwest Cover Crops Council (MCCC-101)

Purdue Extension (AY-357-W)

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This publication is intended to provide a starting point for farmers who are new to growing cover crops. With experience, farmers may fine-tune the use of cover crops for their systems.

Introduction

The following recipe provides an introductory approach to integrating a cover crop into a soybean-corn rotation. Often the easiest place to begin is to plant a cover crop ahead of a soybean cash crop following corn, so consider starting with the companion recipe titled Post Corn, Going to Soybean (publication MCCC-100/AY-356-W; see Resources).

Planning and Preparation
  • Planning—Educate yourself. Start small. Be timely. Prioritize management based on your purpose and objectives.
  • Soybean variety and planting—If possible, plant the preceding soybean crop early and use an early maturity soybean cultivar. One strategy is to use your earliest- maturity-group soybeans on the fields where you plan to seed cover crops and plant those beans first.
  • Residual soybean herbicides—Because oats are very tolerant of most soybean residual herbicides, few restrictions apply unless grazing is being considered. Radish is more sensitive and will likely be harmed if ALS-type (group 2) or PPO-type (group 14) herbicides are used in the soybean cropping season. (See Resources.)
  • Seed purchase—Order cover crop seed early. Named oat varieties grow well but are more expensive than VNS (variety not stated) seed. Start with VNS seed with a good germination rate purchased from a reputable seed dealer. Note that this means the seed has been cleaned, tested for germination, and has a seed tag even though it is VNS. Although usually not less expensive than oat seed, spring barley can be used instead. For cover crop radishes (daikon type), be sure to purchase a single variety from a reputable seed dealer since mixed varieties may bolt or go to seed rather than producing the desired large amounts of biomass and roots.
Figure 1. A growing oats/radish mix in soybean stubble (Eileen Kladivko)
Figure 1. A growing oats/radish mix in soybean stubble (Eileen Kladivko)
Fall Work
  • Soybean harvest—Harvest fields where a mix of spring oats/radish are to be planted as early as possible.
  • Timing of planting—Ideally, plant oats/radish immediately after harvest. In most of Indiana, this should occur by the third week in September. See Selector Tool (in Resources section) for more precise dates for your county.
  • Planting method—Drill to a depth of 0.25–0.50 inch or broadcast, but note that incorporation of the seed, if any, should be light since excessive disturbance of soybean stubble may negate any benefit of the cover crop. See Resources for more details on seeding methods.
  • Seeding rate in oats/radish mix—Drilled: oats, 30–60 lbs./acre; radish, 2–3 lbs./acre. Broadcast: oats, 35–65 lbs./acre; radish, 3–4 lbs./acre.
  • Aerial seeding or overseeding—An alternative to seeding after harvest is to do aerial seeding with a plane or helicopter or overseeding with a ground-based vehicle.In most of Indiana, seeding should take place in late August or by the first week of September and before 25% of the soybean leaves have yellowed and dropped. Rainfall after seeding is essential for establishment.
  • Seeding rate for overseeding—For oats: 40–60 lbs./acre; for radish: 3–4 lbs./acre.
  • Tillage or no-tillage—To allow for adequate cover crop growth, it is best if no full-width tillage takes place until oats/radish have been killed by freezing temperatures. If tillage is used, it is usually better to wait until spring in order to maintain surface cover to prevent erosion.
  • Fertility or liming—If applying P, K, or lime, complete the application prior to the seeding operation or apply to the growing oats/radish before the ground freezes. If it is necessary to inject N fertilizer or manure in the fall, a low-disturbance applicator should be used to minimize reduction in surface residues.
Spring Work
  • Starter fertilizer—Strongly consider equipping your corn planter with 2×2 starter fertilizer, and aim for a starter fertilizer rate between 30–50 pounds of actual N per acre.
Figure 2. Residue of oats/radish mix in early March (Eileen Kladivko)
Figure 2. Residue of oats/radish mix in early March (Eileen Kladivko)
Resources

Cover Crop Selector Tool — available from the Midwest Cover Crops Council

Post Corn, Going to Soybean: Use Cereal Rye (Indiana Cover Crop Recipe series, MCCC-100/AY-356-W)

Managing Cover Crops: An Introduction to Integrating Cover Crops into a Corn-Soybean Rotation (Purdue Extension publication AY-353-W)

Residual Herbicides and Fall Cover Crop Establishment (Purdue Extension Weed Science publication)

Terminating Cover Crops: Successful Cover Crop Termination with Herbicides (Purdue Extension publication WS-50-W),

Recommended Cover Crop Seeding Methods and Tools (Agronomy Technical Notes)—available from the USDA–Natural Resources Conservation Service

Authors

Eileen Kladivko, Purdue University; Shalamar Armstrong, Purdue University; and Anna Morrow, Midwest Cover Crops Council

Reviewers and Contributors

Marisol Berti, North Dakota State University; Barry Fisher, USDA-NRCS; William Johnson, Purdue University; Tom Kaspar, USDA–Agricultural Research Service (retired); DeAnn Presley, Kansas State University; Vaughn Sothman, Sharp Brothers Seed Co., Kansas; and Anne Verhallen, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

The Midwest Cover Crops Council aims to facilitate widespread adoption of cover crops throughout the Midwest by providing educational/outreach resources and programs, conducting new research, and communicating about cover crops to the public.
Funding for this project was provided by McKnight Foundation.

Revised May 2019

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or a part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. ©2019 by MCCC. All rights reserved.

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ABOUT

The Midwest Cover Crop Council was first organized in 2006. Since its inception the organization has grown into a community that facilitates the sharing of cover crop knowledge within the Midwest and beyond.

CONTACT INFO

  • MCCC General Contact
    Comments or questions regarding the MCCC or our website can be directed to our Program Manager.
  • Anna Morrow
  • [email protected]
  • 317-392-6417

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