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
|
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
| Top of Page |
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
| Top of Page |
-
For more information:
Toll Free: 1-877-424-1300
Local: (519) 826-4047
E-mail: ag.info.omafra@ontario.ca
|
This site is maintained
by the Government of Ontario 
Queen's Printer for Ontario
