Cool-Season Crops
Nitrogen Fixing Cover Crops
* = variety not stated
Cool-Season Crops
Hairy Vetch *
Winter annual , viney cover crop legume with purple blossoms and compound leaves . Exceptional biomass ; can be a heavy N-fixer ( up to 100 + lbs N / acre at flowering ). Improves soil structure , scavenges P , and competes well against early season weeds . Can
winterkill if planted past recommended dates .
• Best fall-planted legume for nitrogen fixation
• Companion seed 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
• Very viney : can clog equipment Conventional _____________ $ 1.50 / lb
$ 75 / 50 lb bag Organic _________________ $ 2.00 / lb
$ 100 / 50 lb bag
Purple Bounty Hairy Vetch
• Winterhardy , early maturing hairy vetch from USDA
• Selected for high nitrogen fixation potential and increased biomass
• Flowers two weeks earlier than common hairy vetch making it ideal for Upper Midwest rotations Organic _________________ $ 2.20 / lb
$ 110 / 50 lb bag
Chickling Vetch *
• Viney , spring-seeded cover crop legume used for plowdown and N production
• Frost and drought tolerant , high 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 ________________ ASK Organic ________ ASK ( not available until July 2018 )
Common Vetch *
• Viney legume with pea-like flowers , compound leaves
• Good growth for cover cropping if seeded early in the fall , excellent candidate for aerial application
• Will winterkill in the Upper Midwest Conventional ______________ $. 90 / lb
$ 45 / 50 lb bag Organic ____________________ ASK
44 Cover Crops
Icicle Winter Peas
NEW !
• Strong winter hardiness – potential for overwintering in the Upper-Midwest
• Excellent root system and high biomass production in the spring
• Small seed with good viability ; lowers seeding costs
• White flower ; more digestible and sweeter tasting to livestock compared to Austrain Winter peas
• Can also be used as spring forage pea in cover crop mixes or forage blends
Conventional __________ $ 30 / 50 lb 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 __________ $ 30 / 50 lb bag Organic _ ASK / 50 lb bag ( not available until July 2018 )
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 __________ $ 18 / 50 lb bag Organic ______________ $ 25 / 50 lb 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 _________________ $ 2.40 / lb
$ 140 / 50 lb 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 ____________________ $ 1.70 / lb $ 85 / 50 lb 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 ________________ $ 0.72 / lb
$ 36 / 50 lb 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 _________________$. 90 / lb
$ 48 / 50 lb bag
Faba Beans
• 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 ; important to plant early
• Suitable for hay or silage ; good forage quality Conventional _________ $. 68 / lb $ 34 / 50 lbs Organic _____________ $. 84 / lb $ 42 / 50 lbs