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.