The way a football team prepares for a game is vastly different from the way a cross country runner prepares for a meet. While some of the same general principles may apply, the actual drills and techniques they practice are wildly different.
Just as our preparation for different sports is different, so should our preparation for our next cash crop. It might seem obvious or intuitive, but do you know how you would change your preparation for a corn cash crop vs. a bean cash crop? These two crops are very different so the way we prepare our soil for them should reflect those differences. In general we can use the same principles like keeping the soil protected from erosion, increasing the soil biodiversity, and improving nutrient cycling but the exact cover crops we use to accomplish those goals will vary.
Preparing for Beans
Rye is probably the most common cover crop application that people use across the country and for good reason. Rye serves as an excellent grass cover crop prior to your bean crop. The extensive root system helps stabilize the soil and protect against erosion. The massive above ground biomass offers excellent weed suppression. To add some diversity to the rye we might consider a brassica such as rapeseed and a broadleaf such as flax. Rapeseed is one of the most cold tolerant brassicas so it is well suited for a mid-fall planting. Flax is a cool season broadleaf that will introduce an additional plant family to your fields. The added diversity improves the soil microbial populations and cycles different nutrients making them more available for the following crop. Check out our Pre-Bean mix if you’re interested in a mix like this.
Preparing for Corn
Many people avoid using rye before a corn crop due to nitrogen tie up and potential allelopathic affects. But going without a cover crop entirely leaves your soil exposed and not properly primed for your next crop. Instead, consider using barley as the bulk of your mix. Barley is not as fast-growing or aggressive as rye, which makes it somewhat less effective for spring weed control, but this also makes it a better cereal ahead of corn as there are less nitrogen tie up effects. If you can get barley to overwinter, it is fast to mature and will be ready to harvest before cereal rye. In addition to the barley, consider hairy vetch and winter camelina. Camelina is also a very cold tolerant brassica and if given enough time to grow in the fall it can make it through the winter and help with weed suppression in the spring. Hairy vetch is a great option before corn as it has the potential to fix large amounts of nitrogen, especially if you can delay corn planting in the spring. Our Pre-Corn mix is an excellent option for those planning on a corn crop next spring.
Whether you’re planning to plant corn or beans, or perhaps both, consider how you’re preparing your soil for the next cash crop. Be sure your cover crop is setting you up for a successful cash crop. Give us a call today at 402-469-6784 to talk through your cover crop plan for this fall! Or reach out to us online: https://greencover.com/get-in-touch/
