ADVANTAGES TO COVER CROPS AND THE BEST CHOICES TO FILL EACH NEED:
Mycorrhizal fungi association: flax, sorghum, millet, sudangrass
Use lots of water: rye, wheat, wheatgrass, triticale, radish, turnip
Use very little water: cowpea, lentil, millet, pea, camelina
Erosion reduction: barley, sorghum, millet, oats, rye, sudangrass, triticale, wheat
Reduce compaction: radish, turnip, sorghum, kale, rapeseed, sudangrass, camelina
Increase soil organic matter: ryegrass, barley, sorghum, millet, oats, rye, sudangrass, triticale, wheat
Increase future nutrient availability: radish, turnip, sorghum, kale, rapeseed, sudangrass, triticale, wheat, camelina
Salinity tolerance: barley, kale, rapeseed, rye, triticale, wheat
Weed suppression: barley, cowpea, sorghum, kale, millet, radish, rye, sudangrass, triticale, turnip, wheat
Increase soil nitrogen levels: soybean, cowpea, lentil, pea
Grazing potential: radish, turnip, ryegrass, rapeseed, sudangrass, wheatgrass
When planting cover crops, we suggest picking your top 2 to 3 goals and then getting a cover crop blend (usually 3 to 5 cover crops mixed together) that will best meet those needs.