Albert Lea Seed House 2018 Cover Crop Seed Guide | Page 12

Winter Rye
As A Cover Crop
Winter rye (aka cereal rye) is a winter grain seeded in the fall and is the most widely planted cover
crop species in the Upper Midwest. It provides winter ground cover, vigorous early spring growth,
and serves as a cover crop, forage, and grain. Rye is a cereal grain like wheat and barley and should
not be confused with annual or perennial ryegrasses. Winter rye is the superior choice as a fall-
planted overwintering cover crop when compared to perennial ryegrass, or annual ryegrass.
WINTER RYE FAST FACTS
• Plant from mid-August until the end of October. Winter rye germinates down to
35 o F but adequate snow cover needed for very late planting
• Drilling: For cover crop drill seed at 50-100 pounds per acre at a depth of 3/4” to
1-1/2”. For grain or forage, plant 100 lbs per acre. (25-35 plants per square foot).
• Broadcast/Aerial: Fly 50 to 100 lbs per acre into field corn, sweet corn, and
soybeans at the beginning of leaf senescences (browning) for a strong rye stand
or for late fall grazing and again in early spring.
• Drill soybeans after rye termination. Alternately, soybeans can be no-till drilled
into green rye and then terminated in the spring.
• Stands of rye can be very tall and thick by the time of planting into living rye:
prepare the planter for the biomass with adequate down pressure and seed
depth/furrow closure adjustments.
• Winter rye does not require supplemental fertilizer, but you may add 20 to 30 lbs/
acre of early spring-applied N.
• Terminate rye 10-14 days prior to planting corn.
• However you choose to plant rye, start clean. Excessive crop residue may prevent
seed from reaching the soil, causing an uneven stand. Also, decomposing rye
reside ties up nutrients and can have an allelopathic effect on corn.
WINTER RYE YIELD RESULTS (2015-2017, UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA)
Cultivar
Aroostook
Elbon
Hazlet
KWS Bono 1
KWS Brasetto 1
Maton II
Musketeer
ND Dylan
Oklon
Prima
Rymin
Spooner
Wheeler
Mean (bu/acre)
LSD (0.1)
Lamberton
2017
3 Yr
Le Center
3 Yr 2017 2017
81
84
116
153
144
80
95
100
83
99
102
88
74 78
84
115
160
141
77
95
-
78
110
105
99
60 100.2 6
St. Paul
3 Yr Kimball 2
2 Yr 2017 3 Yr 2017 3 Yr
53
86
120
249
188
70
69
88
66
66
96
86
64 70
78
119
190
162
73
89
-
72
93
108
100
47 53
55
155
210
187
62
83
105
65
97
97
89
43 77
73
132
173
157
75
81
-
80
95
103
108
47 70
78
119
190
162
73
89
-
72
93
108
100
47 78
77
120
165
157
68
100
99
65
113
114
102
42 68
72
129
172
170
64
105
-
65
110
108
96
41 73
78
123
175
162
72
92
100
76
98 67
73
125
187
167
63
96
-
68
108
82.3 59.9 76.7 56.2 65.6 76.7 71.1 13 35 17 30 23 14 29
2016 and 2017 data (3 year data is predicted value). 2 2015 and 2016 data.
1
12
Crookston
State
103 111
84 101
63 35
60.3 71.7 56.1
19 8 11