Cover Crops

 is a deep-rooted, non-bloat, perennial legume which can be used as hay, or grazed in pastures alone or in a grass-legume mix. It is highly palatable to sheep and cattle, it is well suited to haying due to its upright growth habit. Regrowth is poor however and it is recommended to be cut once/season at the half- to full-bloom stage. Do not graze for two seasons after planting. Stands should be allowed to naturally reseed every 2 to 3 years for reestablishment. Stands will persist 3 to 6 years under irrigation but will last longer if root and crown rot diseases are controlled. Sainfoin has been widely used in reclamation and range enhancement seedings.  

is noted to have good to excellent forage value for livestock and wildlife during all seasons. It stays green throughout the growing season and into winter until heavy snow cover occurs, providing forage and seed to livestock and wildlife. It provides excellent diversity to the seeded plant community. It does best on well-drained soils and infertile to disturbed soils. It can be planted and will establish in 12 inches or more rainfall areas, but generally does not persist in areas with less than 14 inches annual precipitation. It has excellent cold winter and drought tolerance. It tolerates weakly saline to weakly acidic sites. Small burnet is not tolerant of poor drainage, flooding or high water tables. It is usually used in open areas, but will tolerate semi-shaded conditions. It is considered fire resistant due to leaves and stems staying green with relatively high moisture content during the fire season. Planting rate with a drill 2-5 lbs/acre in a mix, not recommended to plant in a pure stand, at ¼ to ¾ inch depth.

 (ANNUAL) is a short, fine stemmed forage rape that is widely adapted. It has tolerance to cold, heat and drought.  The highly palatable forage produces up to 20% protein and can be grazed 75 days after planting.  It can be re-grazed at 30 day intervals, if given adequate time, nutrition and moisture. Planting rates are 5-8 lbs/acre in pure stand, 4-6 lbs/acre in a mix, ¼ to ½ inch depth.

(ANNUAL) is a cool season legume, it is drought tolerant, but has poor salinity tolerance. Typically planted mid-fall, planting a seed depth of ½ to 1 inch. Some of its purposes are for nitrogen fixation, increase organics, reduce soil compaction, & suppress weeds. The flowers will attract pollinators, bees, and beneficial insects. Has a late maturity and will get to a Height: 2 feet in monoculture and up to 6 feet if supported by large cereal grains.

(ANNUAL) is a fast growing cover crop, reaching near maximum production levels in 70 to 90 days.  They provide an excellent source of fall grazing for livestock and wildlife species.  Turnips can be grazed during the normal growing season as well as late fall.   Crude protein up to 24% can be produced in the leaves, and 15% in the roots. Plant at 2-5 lbs/acre for pure stand, and 1-2 lbs/acre in mixture, ¼ - ½ inch depth.

Premier is a short, “stem-less”, leafy kale with a high leaf to stem ratio.  It establishes rapidly with adequate soil moisture and temperature.  Grazing can begin 80 to 150 days after seeding with mature plants tolerating temperatures down to 10°F.  Premier can produce crude protein levels exceeding 17%.

Dwarf Siberian kale is a short plant with a broad canopy.  Mature plants are less than 20 inches tall with a total canopy width of up to 2 feet.  Plants are resistant to lodging.  The highly palatable forage can be grazed 70 to 90 days after planting. Planting rate in pure stand 3-5 lbs/acre, in mix 1-2 lbs/acre, ¼ - ½ inch depth.

A great forage option for fall or spring planting. Livestock love the flavor. These legumes grow to about 30” tall and can be planted mono-culture at a rate of 30 to 40 lbs per acre or added to a seed mix up to 30 lbs per acre. Sustained temps below 18 degrees without snow cover may impact winter survival percentage. You can help them survive the winter better by adding other crops like wheat, barley or triticale to help protect the plant. Also planting early enough to get 8” of growth before the ground freezes can help.

 Arvika peas are a good forage quality pea that will add flavor and nutrition to any forage crop or mix. Peas are a legume so the added benefit is N fixation. Arvika peas are best grown with a companion crop that will support their vines. Best suited for planting in spring.

 a summer annual legume that is great for grazing, haying, silage, as a component with a forage mix or used as a cover crop. They are semi drought hardy plants great at N Fixation that can grow up to 36” tall. Plant after last frost event of the spring.  

Montech peas are an erect growing pea that will not provide as much forage production as Arvika or Austrians peas but will add the flavor at a lower cost.