Cool Crops
Peas
AUSTRIAN WINTER PEA
- Use similar to spring field pea in cover crop mixes
- Best used as a forage pea in cover crop mixes or forage blends
- Can provide from 90 to 150 lbs nitrogen/acre at full flowering
- Withstands temps as low as 10°F with minor injury
- Sensitive to heat and humidity
- 3,000-4,000 seeds/lb
- Austrian winter peas require inoculant for proper nodulation for nitrogen fixation
Legumes
HAIRY VETCH
- Fast growing, winter-annual legume; best fall-planted for N fixation
- Improves soil structure, scavenges P, and competes against early season weeds
- Seed in mid to late August in Upper Midwest; plant with companion (rye, oats, etc.) for overwintering
- Hairy Vetch cover crop produces hard seed; control plant before seed set
- Do not seed into small grains if harvesting for marketable grain: seed is difficult to separate
- Seed and biomass toxic to horses
- Inoculate with Exceed Pea/Vetch/Lentil/Faba
Turnip & Raddish
PURPLE TOP TURNIP
- Leafy, large-rooted, establishes rapidly
- Produces a large bulb just below ground, which is good for reducing compaction in the topsoil layers
- Scavenges N and other nutrients which prevents leaching
- Cold hardy specie, perfect for fall and early winter grazing
- Excellent forage potential, can yield up to 4 to 6 tons of DM/acre
- Will likely winterkill in the Upper Midwest
DAIKON RADDISH
- 50-60 days to maturity.
- Daikon radish is an open-pollinated white radish that produces large, 2–6 pounds and 8–13 inches long roots
- Breaks up compacted soil and improve nutrient levels