CROP AND SOIL SCIENCES
Cover Crops and Conservation Tillage for Soil Erosion Control on Cropland
| Species | Life cyclea |
Maturity zone | Seeding rateb (lb/A) |
Seeding date |
N-fixation (lb/A) | Avg cost ($) |
Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legumes | ||||||||
| Hairy vetch (Visa villosa Roth) | WA | 1 | 20-40 | Aug/early Sept |
80-250 | 1.50/lb | Most cold tolerant and highest yielding of all winter annual legumes; above-average drought tolerance; adapted to wide range of soil types | Requires early fall establishment, and slow to establish; little winter cover possible; matures in late spring; high P and K requirement for maximum growth; can harbor pests; potential weed problem in winter grains |
| Crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L.) | WA/ SA | 4 | 9-40 (avg 18-20) | Aug | 70-130 | 1.80/lb | Rapid growth; above-average shade tolerance; forage use (no bloat); good nematode resistance | Poor heat and drought tolerance; no-till planting in residue is difficult due to steminess |
| Red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) | SLP (2-3 yr) | 1 | 7-18 | Aug | 100-110 | 0.60- 1.90/lb |
Thick, deep taproot; adapted to humid areas; tolerates wet soil conditions and shade; forage use only if mixed with grasses | Initial growth slow; high P and K requirements for maximum growth; seed can persist creating volunteer problems; pure stand forage causes bloat; vulnerable to some pathogens, insects |
| White clover (Trifolium repens L.) | LLP | 1 | 6-14 | Aug or spring | 100-130 | 2.30/lb | Adapted to most temperate zones; good heat, flood, drought, shade tolerance; low-maintenance and tolerates high traffic; forage use with grasses (better yields) | As a living mulch, may become competitive with crop if not mowed or tilled under; no yield during hot-dry weather; good nutrient management necessary; susceptible to some diseases, insects |
| Field peas (Pisum spp.) (e.g., Austrian winter pea) | SA/ WA | 7 | 70-220 | Aug or spring | 50-150 | 0.40/lb | Rapid growth in cool weather; versatile legume; interseed with cereal and brassica spp.; used as food or feed | Austrian winter pea will not overwinter north of MD; shallow root system; sensitive to heat and humidity; susceptible to diseases, insect pests |
| Crownvetch (Coronilla varia L.) | LLP | 1 | 5-20 | Spring or early summer | 40 (suppressed) | 8.00- 11.50/lb |
Deep rooted and long-lived; good tolerance to heat, drought, and cold; no known insect or disease problems; excellent erosion control; fixes own nitrogen; can be managed as living mulch | Slow germination and establishment; high degree of management necessary; competes with crop if not suppressed |
| Birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.) | SLP | 1 | 5-10 | Spring or early summer | 40 | 3.90/lb | Quick establishment; tolerates poorly drained soils and low pH; fixes own nitrogen; can be managed as living mulch | Competes with crop if not suppressed or killed; does not spread and fill in on its own |
| Grasses (Cool-season) | ||||||||
| Cereal rye (Secale cereale L.) | WA | 1 | 60-200 | Fall | Excellent nutrient and moisture scavenger (esp. N) | 8.00/bu | Most cold tolerant of commonly used cover crops, late seedlings possible, germinates and grows rapidly; tolerates poor soil conditions and drought; rapid growth may provide some weed control; various uses: cover crop to food source | Regrowth may occur if not completely controlled (mature rye difficult to manage); possible crop suppression due to allelopathy or nutrient tie-up by rye; pest problems: small grain insects, diseases |
| Spring oats (Avena sativa L.) | SA | 8 | 100 (3 bu) | Spring or fall | Good nutrient scavenger (less if fall seeded) | 4.50-5.65/bu | Rapid growth in cool weather; ideal for quick fall cover or nurse crop with legumes; winter kills; various uses: cover crop to food source | High lodging potential; susceptible to diseases and insect pests; winter kills |
| Annual/ perennial ryegrass
(Lolium spp.) Tall/fine fescue (Festuca spp.) Bluegrass spp. (Poa spp.) Smooth bromegrass (Bromus inermis) Orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata) Timothy (Phleum pratense) |
Spp. variation | 1 | 15-50+ | Spring or fall | Fair- excellent nutrient and moisture scavenger | 1.10/lb | Tolerant to wide range of soil conditions (TF, SBG, PRG*); rapid establishment (RG, OG, Tim.); tolerate shade, low pH and fertility (FF, TF); drought and heat tolerant (TF, SBG); winter-hardy (KBG, SBG, FF); form dense sod (KBG, SBG); most can be used as feed; adapted for orchard/ornamental uses (FF, TF, KBG, PRG) | Slow establishment (KBG, SBG, FF*); low heat tolerance (PRG, FF, Tim.); may winter kill (PRG, TF, OG); bunch-type growth (FF, TF, PRG, OG, Tim.); may harbor insects and disease; living mulch requires high management |
| Other Crops | ||||||||
| Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) | SA | NFT | 35-134 | Spring or fall | Fair-good nutrient scavenger (esp. P, Ca) | 11.00-12.50 /bu | Grows on wide variety of soils (infertile, poorly tilled, low pH); rapid growth; quick smother crop and good soil conditioner; cool, moist climates; food and feed source | Limited growing season, frost sensitive; poor growth on heavy limestone soils; occasional pests |
| Brassicas (Cruciferae family) (e.g., rape, kale, turnip, radish) | A/B | 4 | 5-12 | Spring or fall | Good nutrient scavenger (esp. N, P, Ca) | Varies | Quick establishment in cool weather; withstands light frost (but winter kills); deep, thick root systems; drought tolerant; highly digestible forage crop and other uses; continuous growth even with shorter days; may help insect and weed management | Low tolerance to wet soils; potential bloat problems (mix with 25% grass); long-term "weed" problem if allowed to set seed (spreads by seed); occasional pests; winter kills |
| a A=annual; WA=winter annual; SA=summer annual; B=biennial; SLP=short-lived perennial; LLP=long-lived perennial; NFT=no frost tolerance b Higher rates may be necessary for broadcast seedings * Species name abbreviations. |
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