COVER CROPS: HARNESS THEIR BENEFITS WISELY!

COVER CROPS: HARNESS THEIR BENEFITS WISELY! By Paul Mooney - (B. Agr. Sc.) - Tel: 086 3532342

• IMPROVED SOIL STRUCTURE • EROSION REDUCTION

• NITROGEN FIXATION • WEED SUPPRESSION

These are only a few of the merits of cover crops. You could clearly see during recent drought conditions that anywhere there was a well-established cover crop last winter, the current spring crop suffered much less during drought, and showed the promise of a much heavier yield this harvest as a result.

👉Sow early, ASAP after crop removed.

👉One day of growth in July could be better than the whole month of October. Once we move into September, will a cover crop pay for itself? • It's for cover, no need to spend a fortune!

👉Light cultivation with disc or grub, ideally with a seeder on back and roll after.

👉May have to give volunteer cereals a light spray to keep them from over competing with the crop. There are a few basic rules around cover crops that we must observe, or we could induce soil borne issues. If you are growing winter crops, cover crops may contribute some bit towards breaking the take-all cycle. If you have Oilseed Rape in rotation, avoid using Brassicas (Rape, Stubble Turnip, Radish, Mustard). If you have Beans in the rotation, avoid using Legumes (Vetch, Clover). Avoid cereals like Rye and Oats, because they can create soil borne issues for subsequent cereal crops. Phacelia, Buckwheat and Linseed are the only three cover crops that won’t affect the subsequent crop in the rotation with increased disease burden. Once Brassicas establish, they grow rapidly. Legumes are very slow to mature and need to be sown early. We have a lot of experience over the years with cover crops so please talk to us to get what’s best suited to your farm and your planned rotations.