Cool Season Grass
Cool Season Grass
Cool season grasses are those that would normally grow either in the early spring thru to early summer or late summer and early fall thru the early part of winter. There are a few grasses that are winter hardy and will grow through the winter as well. These are good options to recapture nutrients that could leach out of the system. They can also provide extra forage for livestock if the opportunity is available. Cool season grasses also can provide the much needed thatch of residue to help with weed control and moisture retention for your spring planted crops.
Soybeans emerging through rye residue.
Cereal rye plant.
Rye residue after planting
Planting through rye residue.
Annual Fescue
This is a cool season annual grass with upright plant architecture. It has common names of Rattail fescue and Foxtail fescue. This grass benefits from arbuscular mycorrhizal associations as well. Seed CatalogPrices 2018 Corn Prices 2018 Soybean Prices 2018 Sorghum...
Barley
Barley has low water use with good salinity tolerance. It benefits from arbuscular mycorrhizal associations and is also a self-pollinator. It is also rated 'very good' at scavenging nitrogen. Seed CatalogPrices 2018 Corn Prices 2018 Soybean Prices 2018 Sorghum...
Wheat
Wheat has medium water use with good to fair salinity tolerance. It benefits from arbuscular mycorrhizal associations. Wheat is also rated ‘very good’ at scavenging nitrogen from the soil. If you have wheat in your rotation though, it would be advisable to not use...
Triticale
This is a hybrid of wheat and rye. It has a good blend of the characteristics from both crops. It is a self-pollinator like wheat. It has good salinity tolerance, and will form arbuscular mycorrhizal associations. Steer grazing on lush Triticale growth. Seed...
Cereal Rye
Rye can be seeded later in fall than other cover crops and still provide considerable dry matter, an extensive soil-holding root system, significant reduction of nitrate leaching and exceptional weed suppression. Rye outperforms all other cover crops on infertile,...
Oats
Provide quick, weed-suppressing biomass, take up excess soil nutrients and can improve the productivity of legumes when planted in mixtures. There are both spring and cold-tolerant “winter” oats. They do not fare well in hot, dry weather. Seed CatalogPrices 2018...
Annual Ryegrass
This is a quick-growing, non-spreading bunch grass. It is a reliable, versatile performer almost anywhere, assuming adequate moisture and fertility. It does a fine job of holding soil, taking up excess N and outcompeting weeds. It is an excellent choice for...
