Cover crops might help you overcome both problems. After mid-September, small grains almost always are the best choice for cover crops. Choose the small grain based on what you want to achieve with the cover crop. Are you still hoping for some feed this fall? If so, consider planting oats. It has more fall forage yield potential than other small grains and since it dies over winter, it won't interfere with next year's crop. However, oat residue provides less effective soil protection and for a shorter duration than other grains.
For better soil protection, consider cereal rye. Its fall growth usually is a little better than wheat or triticale, but nowhere near that of oats. It can provide abundant growth early next spring to get cows off of hay sooner. Be careful if wheat grain is one of your crops, though, because rye can carry wheat streak mosaic and can contaminate wheat grain, leading to discounts.
To maximize late spring forage yield and quality, especially as hay or silage, triticale is best. It may be more expensive to plant and less winterhardy than rye, but it can't be beat for spring forage. Plus, it's resistant to mosaic.
If grain is your eventual goal following winter soil protection, winter wheat is your obvious choice.
Small grain cover crops can help preserve your soil and offer benefits as crops. This fall consider following your early harvests with cover crop plantings.
Bruce Anderson
Extension Forage Specialist
|
 | ||
| Published by University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension in the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources Cooperating with the counties and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. | ||
| The University of Nebraska-Lincoln does not discriminate on the basis of gender, age, disability, race, color, religion, marital status, veteran's status, national or ethnic origin, or sexual orientation. | ||