Cereal RYE
Cool Season - Grass
The hardiest of cereals, 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. Inexpensive and easy to establish, rye outperforms all other cover crops on infertile, sandy or acidic, or on poorly prepared land. It overseeds readily into many high-value and agronomic crops and resumes growth quickly in spring, allowing timely killing by rolling, mowing, or herbicides. Pair rye with a winter annual legume such as hairy vetch to offset rye's tendency to tie up soil nitrogen in spring.
SOIL ADAPTABILITY:
Drainage: Poorly to well drained
Fertility: Excellent tolerance of low soil
fertility
pH Level: 6.0-7.0
Minimum Soil Germination Temp: 34°F
Sunlight: Good shade tolerance
SEEDING / GROWTH:
Dates: Late August - December
(regional variations)
One of the later cover crop varieties
Rates:
Precision: (not recommended)
Drilled: 40-45 lb/A, 3/4" to 1 1/2" deep
Broadcast: 56-60 lb/A
Aerial: 65-70 lb/A
Average seeds/lb: 18,200
Inoculate: NR*
Emergence: 5-8 days
Height: 3' - 6'
Drought & Heat: Good drought tolerance
Tolerates brief flooding
PROS:
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Rapid spring growth
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Loosens no-till soil efficiently
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Strong nitrogen scavenger (25-50 lbs N/A)
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Efficient biomass producer (4-10k lbs DM/A)
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Excellent soil builder/erosion preventer
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Good forage and grazing crop
CONS:
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Slow mineralization of nitrogen
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Cannot plant deeper than 2"
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Due to Rye's spring height, it can be overwhelming to new cover crop farmers