December 2023 - 80

PLANT & SOIL HEALTH
Cover crop mixes
C
Select the right seed species and rates
BY VICKI MORRONE
AND ANN BYBEE-FINLEY
over crop mixes have piqued
many farmers' interests. The
cost to buy and plant cover crop
seed and terminate or incorporate
the crop all need to be considered
when selecting which ones to
include. Choosing the right mixes
will help assure a fair return on your
investment. Here are ways to reduce
the cost while maximizing the return.
Know your growing
conditions
Get a sense of the growing
conditions of your fields. Try growing
the cover crop as a sole cover crop.
Note the conditions when it thrives -
and doesn't - and how aggressive it
is. If it grows fast and fills in gaps, it
is a strong competitor. Experience is
key to selecting the right species at
the right seed rates for your mix to
grow successfully.
Seed rate is not an easy determination
when planning to grow several
species together. Recommended
rates generally listed are intended
for sole crop production. Combining
cover crop species to be planted in
a single pass can offer a means to
address several goals to improve
the soil. For example, to improve
nutrient cycling, a dense stand (lots of
biomass) will take up excess nutrients
that otherwise may be leached. To
reduce erosion, just ensuring your soil
is covered might suffice.
As unprecedented weather events
occur more frequently, cover crop
mixes should be selected to withstand
less than " normal conditions, " such
as changes in soil moisture and air
temperature. Think of this mix (vs. a
single crop) as a way to hedge your
bets against less predictable weather.
Address multiple goals
with cover crop mixes
How much seed of each cover
crop species should be included?
Consider several factors about each
cover crop: Does it address at least
one of the soil's needs (goals), how
well does it grow, and what are its
abilities to grow with other plants in
the mix? If a species is being grown
under less-than-optimal conditions,
consider replacing it with a more
competitive species or increasing the
seed rate by about 10%.
Seeding rates
If you plant a mix, you want to
see the species grow evenly so all
are present and addressing your
goals. Cover crop mixes that grow
evenly and do not outcompete one
another provide multiple benefits.
It's important to note that a species
may grow well one year but is hardly
visible the next. This is OK - the
mix is adjusting to the varying
growing conditions.
Even if this is the case, you still
want to ensure that the lack of
species present is not because the
seeding rate of another species is
too high. Careful planning is needed
to manage highly aggressive species
in cover crop mixes. This can be
done by decreasing the seeding
80 | DECEMBER 2023

http://www.hiwasseeproducts.com

December 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of December 2023

Editor's Letter
Watermelon Pressures
Battling food insecurities
40 Under 40 Class of 2023
Michigan Vegetable Council's proactive approach
2023: Year in review
Great Lakes EXPO News: Mastering pest management
Great Lakes EXPO News: Stop the Rot project
2024 Buyers' Guide
Consider automatic irrigation control systems
Autonomous tech invades the 'salad bowl'
Robotic risk
Robots perform field work
Cover crop mixes
Farm Market & Agritourism: Revolutionize customer relationships
Ag Labor Review: DOL's end run
Business: Effective succession planning
Classifieds
Advertiser Index
December 2023 - 1
December 2023 - 2
December 2023 - 3
December 2023 - Editor's Letter
December 2023 - 5
December 2023 - Watermelon Pressures
December 2023 - 7
December 2023 - 8
December 2023 - 9
December 2023 - 10
December 2023 - 11
December 2023 - Battling food insecurities
December 2023 - 13
December 2023 - 14
December 2023 - 15
December 2023 - 16
December 2023 - 40 Under 40 Class of 2023
December 2023 - 18
December 2023 - 19
December 2023 - 20
December 2023 - 21
December 2023 - 22
December 2023 - 23
December 2023 - 24
December 2023 - 25
December 2023 - 26
December 2023 - 27
December 2023 - 28
December 2023 - 29
December 2023 - Michigan Vegetable Council's proactive approach
December 2023 - 31
December 2023 - 32
December 2023 - 33
December 2023 - 2023: Year in review
December 2023 - 35
December 2023 - 36
December 2023 - 37
December 2023 - Great Lakes EXPO News: Mastering pest management
December 2023 - 39
December 2023 - 40
December 2023 - Great Lakes EXPO News: Stop the Rot project
December 2023 - 42
December 2023 - 2024 Buyers' Guide
December 2023 - 44
December 2023 - 45
December 2023 - 46
December 2023 - 47
December 2023 - 48
December 2023 - 49
December 2023 - 50
December 2023 - 51
December 2023 - 52
December 2023 - 53
December 2023 - 54
December 2023 - 55
December 2023 - 56
December 2023 - 57
December 2023 - 58
December 2023 - 59
December 2023 - 60
December 2023 - 61
December 2023 - 62
December 2023 - 63
December 2023 - 64
December 2023 - 65
December 2023 - 66
December 2023 - Consider automatic irrigation control systems
December 2023 - Autonomous tech invades the 'salad bowl'
December 2023 - 69
December 2023 - 70
December 2023 - 71
December 2023 - Robotic risk
December 2023 - 73
December 2023 - 74
December 2023 - 75
December 2023 - Robots perform field work
December 2023 - 77
December 2023 - 78
December 2023 - 79
December 2023 - Cover crop mixes
December 2023 - 81
December 2023 - Farm Market & Agritourism: Revolutionize customer relationships
December 2023 - 83
December 2023 - Ag Labor Review: DOL's end run
December 2023 - 85
December 2023 - Business: Effective succession planning
December 2023 - 87
December 2023 - Classifieds
December 2023 - 89
December 2023 - Advertiser Index
December 2023 - 91
December 2023 - 92
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