Building Your Soil's Production Capacity with Cover Crops

I hate to see bare soil, particularly during the growing season. It seems like a missed opportunity to build a better soil for the future. Pulling out trees and vines and renovating the field offers a real chance to build the productive capacity of your soil for the future. Cover crops can:

• Add active organic matter - both the above ground residue and the roots from a cover crop contribute to the organic matter levels of soil. The living root systems also exude exudates that contribute to soil structure, increase soil moisture capacity, improve drainage and provide food for a diverse soil life.
  
• Cover the soil to reduce erosion potential and suppress weed growth and seed set
  
• Provide a break in pest cycles by introducing a different species or non-host plant. Choose the right cover crops and keep the area weed free to reduce nematode numbers
  
• Nutrient scavenging - or cycling. Cover crops can capture remaining nutrients from the main crop and release in the next cropping year.

Cover Crop Options

Let's take stock - what do we want to achieve with the cover crop? Build organic matter? Reduce nematode numbers? Or just cover the soil as cheaply as possible?

Getting Cover Crops Started

The key to getting the most benefit out of a cover crop is to grow as much biomass (top and roots) as possible, control weeds and ensure an even stand. To do this:

• select a cover crop that makes sense for the growing season available, oats in October usually are usually not going to grow enough to make it worth the effort - switch to wheat or rye while sorghum sudan makes sense in late June and through early August but not once the calendar says September
  
• be aware of the fertility needs of the cover crop, species like oilseed radish and sorghum are good nitrogen scavengers but this also means that there needs to be some nitrogen available for the best cover crop growth
  
• plant as soon as possible and practical
  
• use a drill to plant seed whenever possible, you will get better seed placement both in soil moisture and seed distribution
  
• herbicide residues may reduce the stand or evenness of your cover crop

Cover Crop Seed Sources

Common cover crop species like rye, oats and wheat can usually be sourced through your local agricultural supplier. Less common species like oilseed radish may require a bit more research to find a supplier. The OMAFRA website features a cover crop seed supplier listing. You can search either by supplier or by cover crop species. Farm publications also often have advertisements for cover crop seed. Take care when buying cover crop seed. Cheap seed isn't a bargain if it has low germination or introduces weeds. Buy good quality seed.

A last note, some Conservation Authorities and the last Environmental Farm Plan provided at least some funding to offset the cost of cover crop seed in the past - take a look in your area to see what may be offered to help you in your cover crop venture!

Learn more:

• Cover crop seed suppliers
• Canada-Ontario Environmental Farm Plan
• Conservation Ontario
  

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