Albert Lea Seed House 2017 Farm Seed Catalog | Page 44

44 NITROGEN FIXING COVER CROPS

Interseeding Cover Crop in Corn

Time lapsed photos of annual ryegrass growth taken the 7th of each month ( seeded June 7th ). Annual ryegrass was seeded at 25 lbs / acre at the V6 growth stage in standing corn in Freeborn Co , Minnesota . It grew up early on , went dormant during the hot months and came back well when the corn died back . This system can work with the right species and adequate moisture !

Cool-Season N-Fixing Cover Crops

Hairy Vetch *
Winter annual , viney cover crop legume with purple blossoms and compound leaves . Produces exceptional biomass and can be a heavy N-fixer ( up to 100 + lbs N / acre at flowering ). Improves soil structure , scavenges P , and competes very well against early season weeds . Can winterkill if planted past recommended dates .
• Best fall-planted legume for nitrogen fixation in the upper-Midwest
• We recommend companion seeding with oats , winter rye or another nurse crop to increase chances of winter survival
• Produces hard seed ; control plant before seed set . Do not seed vetch into small grains if harvesting for marketable grain . Vetch seed is hard to separate from small grains
• Hairy vetch is very viney . It can clog harvest
machinery , mowers and rotary tillage implements Conventional _____________ $ 1.60 / lb
$ 80.00 / 50lb bag Organic _________________ $ 2.00 / lb
$ 100.00 / 50lb bag
Purple Bounty Hairy Vetch NEW !
• New winterhardy , early maturing hairy vetch variety form USDA
• Selected for high nitrogen fixation potential and increased biomass
• Flowers two weeks earlier than common hairy vetch making it ideal for rotations in the upper-Midwest
Conventional _____________ $ 2.20 / lb
$ 110.00 / 50lb bag Organic ___________________ ASK / lb
AC Greenfix Chickling Vetch
• Viney , spring seeded cover crop legume bred for plowdown and N production
• Very frost tolerant and drought tolerant . Good performance on lighter soils , excellent moisture
efficiency
• 8-10 weeks of growth produces 80-100lbs N / acre
• Can be cut for forage , but do not feed seed to livestock
• Do not broadcast seed Conventional __________ $ 46.00 / 50lb bag
Common Vetch *
• Viney legume that is an annual in the upper Midwest with pea-like flowers and compound leaves
• Good growth for cover cropping if seeded early in the fall , excellent candidate for aerial application
• Less winterhardy than hairy vetch ; will winterkill in the upper-Midwest
• Good forage quality and widely adapted Conventional _____________ $ 1.00 / lb
$ 50.00 / 50lb bag Organic _________________ $ 1.50 / lb
$ 75.00 / 50lb bag
Spring Peas *
• Good legume option for early spring or fall cover cropping
• Excellent forage quality for grazing or cut forage in the fall or spring ; best companion seeded with a small grain for optimum tonnage
• Peas need to be drilled or planted , not broadcasted Conventional ________ $ 19.00 / 50lb bag Organic ____________ $ 26.00 / 50lb bag
Austrian Winter Peas *
• Viney , fall-seeded , winter annual legume excellent for use as cover crop or forage crop
• Can produce up to 1-2 tons dry matter / acre and fix 90-150 lbs N / acre
• High quality forage with a protein content of 14 % to 20 %
• Not reliably winter hardy in MN / WI / SD , plant early in the season with a nurse crop to ensure best chance of survival
Conventional ________ $ 34.00 / 50lb bag Organic ____________ $ 42.00 / 50lb bag
Mammoth Red Clover *
• Single-cut red clover most frequently used as a cover crop
• Excellent choice for underseeding small grains in the spring , frost seeding into winter grains or fall seeded into standing crops
• Establishes faster and coarser stemmed than medium red clover
• Minimal recovery after cutting . Avoid droughty soils . Organic _________________ $ 2.80 / lb
$ 140.00 / 50lb bag
Yellow Blossom Sweet Clover *
• Tall-growing biennial clover closely related to alfalfa with high biomass and N-fixation potential
• Very drought tolerant and very winter-hardy , good scavenger of P , K , and other immobile nutrients
• Best plowdown legume for lighter and / or sandy soils
• Cut or plowdown before seed set to avoid volunteer weed issues . Organic ____________________ $ 1.98 / lb
$ 99.00 / 50lb bag
Lentils *
• Short-growing , cool season legume very well suited for cover cropping
• Shorter stature than peas but very good drought and frost tolerance
• Smaller seed size makes lentils ideal for aerial application into standing crops , will winterkill in the upper-Midwest and can also be successfully spring planted as well
• Well suited for all soil types including drier soils . Can fix moderate amounts of N Conventional ________________ $ 0.90 / lb
$ 45.00 / 50lb bag
White Sweet Lupin *
• Cool-season cover crop legume with upright showy flowers and hollow stems
• Aggressive taproot builds soil structure deep in the profile , lupins make immobile P , Mn and other nutrients available to the following crop
• Easy to control by mechanical tillage , excellent N fixation potential
• Avoid heavy clay soils or waterlogged soils . Well suited for lighter soils Conventional ________________ $ 1.62 / lb
$ 81.00 / 50lb bag
Faba Beans NEW !
• Tall , bushy annual legume excellent for use in cover crop mixtures : Thrives under cool , wet conditions
• Can produce 3.5-6 tons / A DM as a cover crop & can fix up to 140 lbs N / A . Large taproot breaks up compaction
• Not tolerant to heat & drought , somewhat frost tolerant
• Slow to emerge due to large seed ; plant early is important
• Suitable for hay or silage ; good forage quality Conv .________________$. 64 / lb $ 32 / 50lbs Organic ______________$. 84 / lb $ 42 / 50lbs