Cover Crop Options For Soybeans In Wisconsin

Sep 15, 2022

Cover crop species recommendations change depending on where you are. The map below is divided between Northern and Southern Wisconsin – click one of the maps below to view the recommendations for that area.

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Northern Wisconsin Cover Crop Options

Small grains / grasses

Cereal rye is the most reliable option for seeding grass cover crops after October 1^st. If able to seed prior to October 1^st, triticale is another grass cover crop option. With sufficient snow cover, both cereal rye and triticale will survive the winter and require termination in the spring. Triticale has higher feed quality than cereal rye. Therefore, for dairy operations looking to harvest the cover crop in the spring, triticale may be preferable. If harvesting the cover crop as a forage, significant attention should be paid to harvest restrictions of herbicides used during the previous two growing seasons.

Brassicas

Due to limited time for establishment and growth, it is not recommended to plant any of the brassicas after soybeans. There is not enough growing degree days left in the season to provide any cover crop benefits.

Legumes

Due to limited time for establishment and growth, it is not recommended to plant any of the legumes after soybeans. There is not enough growing season for them to develop nodules and fix nitrogen.

Southern Wisconsin Cover Crop Options

Small grains / grasses

Cereal Rye and triticale are both cover crops that can be planted well into October in Southern WI. Both will survive the winter and require some management to terminate them in the spring. Rye is more winter hardy than triticale so for very late planting dates, rye is preferable. Triticale has higher feed quality than rye so for dairy operations looking to take a spring forage cut, triticale may be preferable. If harvesting the cover crop as a forage, significant attention should be paid to harvest restrictions of herbicides used during the previous two growing seasons.

Other grasses, such as annual ryegrass. oats, barley are generally not recommended for planting after soybeans because they will winterkill and there are not sufficient enough growing degree days after soybean harvest for these cover crops to produce enough residue to protect the soil in the spring. However, if these grasses are planted during the soybean growing season, they may be options. Please see the aerial seeding page to read more about this option.

Source : wisc.edu

Video: Understanding Nitrogen Loss Through Denitrification

Denitrification is one of the three main pathways for nitrogen loss, but what is it really, and how much nitrogen do we stand to lose?

In this episode, Lyle Cowell is joined by Dr. Erin Daly from the University of Guelph to break down denitrification and the conditions that drive nitrogen loss in the soil. They explore how nitrogen can be lost as nitrous oxide and nitrogen gas, what conditions drive losses and when they are most likely to occur.

Erin also shares how CanN2ONet, a national research network, is helping us better understand nitrous oxide emissions across Canada. From field towers that measure emissions to research into regionally tailored best management practices, discover how the network is working to help growers improve nitrogen use efficiency and help reduce nitrogen losses across the country.