Cover Crops: Other Grasses
| Author: |
Anne Verhallen - Soil Management
Specialist (Hort Crops)/OMAFRA; Adam Hayes - Soil Management Specialist
(Field Crops)/OMAFRA; Ted Taylor - Technical Coordinater, BMP Program/OMAFRA
|
| Creation Date: |
June 2001
|
| Last Reviewed: |
25 August 2003
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Table of Contents
- Corn
- Pearl Millet
- Related Links
Corn
Figure 1 - Damage to Corn Leaves
Description
Family
- Annual grass
- Use discarded or old seed
Growth Habits
Germination
- A relatively large seed, it requires some moisture to get going
- Needs warm soils, temperature greater than 10 C for germination and
growth
Top Growth
- When planted as a cover crop will behave more like a grass like sorghum
sudan
Root System
Overwintering
Site Suitability
- Tolerant of most soil types, germination and emergence in mid to late
summer on heavy clay soils challenging
Control Options
- Tillage, frost and burndown herbicides can be used for control
Sensitivity to Herbicides: Weed Control
- There are many herbicides registered for use in corn but good weed
control for a cover crop should not be expensive and may not be needed.
Use narrow rows and a high enough plant population to establish a vigorous
crop canopy as soon as possible.
Benefits and Concerns
Figure 2 - Patchy field of corn cover crop
Figure 3 - Cover crop of wheat
Figure 4 - Cover crop of rye
Corn can make an inexpensive and effective cover crop if seeded early.
However it is very sensitive to frost. If seeding a fragile, erosion prone
area, mix with a cover crop like rye or wheat to ensure that the cover
is stable.
Nutrient Management
- high uptake of soil nitrogen once past 3 to 4 leaf stage
Pest Management
- some concern about harbouring corn pests in late summer
Organic Matter
- best used as a green manure crop
- biomass return highly dependent upon planting date and first frost
Erosion Control
Getting Started
Establishment
- plant similar to sorghum sudan
- use drill rather than rows to get fastest cover possible
Cost and Availability
- if discard seed available locally – seed should be inexpensive
or free
Pearl Millet
Figure 5 - Pearl Millet planted
in September and killed by an early frost
Description
Family
- Annual grass
- Pennisteum typhoides
Growth Habits
Germination
- Warm season grass; 65 to 70 F is needed for rapid germination
Top Growth
- Solid stems, often densely hairy
- several tillers per plant, only 1 seed stalk
- drought resistant
Root System
Overwintering
Site Suitability
- Tolerant of most soil types, also suited to sandy soils
- Tolerates infertile soils better than most other crops
Control Options
- Tillage, frost and burndown herbicides can be used for control
Sensitivity to Herbicides: Weed Control
- There are no herbicides registered for weed control in pearl millet.
Use narrow rows and appropriate agronomic practices to establish a vigorous
crop canopy as soon as possible.
- If grass weeds are heavy use a preplant burndown of glyphosate;
broadleaf weeds can be controlled with Peakplus,
Banvel or Basagran
Benefits and Cautions
Nutrient Management
- fertilizer requirements are similar to other forage grasses, lower
than corn (roughly 70 % of forage corn fertilizer)
Pest Management
- research shows that a pearl millet cover crop is an effective way
to reduce root lesion nematodes
Organic Matter
- if left to grow without cutting, can reach 12 ft in height
- if spring planted as a cover crop, should be mowed when 2.5 ft in
height
- biomass return is highly dependent upon planting date and first frost
Getting Started
Establishment
- drill after danger of frost is past
- soil temperatures should be above 12 C
- plant ½ inch deep at a rate of 4 kg/ac
- plant into a firm, well prepared seedbed
Cost & Availability
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For more information:
Toll Free: 1-877-424-1300
Local: (519) 826-4047
E-mail: ag.info.omafra@ontario.ca
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