Avena sativa
Type: cool season spring annual grass
Pros: good fit for prevent plant acres and for use ahead of corn production; moderate potential to scavenge nutrients, suppress weeds, improve soil health, prevent erosion
Overwintering potential: no
Planting date: late August through October
Ideal Seeding depth: 0.5” to 1.0” – rainfall/soil moisture needed to get good establishment
Seeding rate: drilled = 60 – 75 pounds per acre; overseeded = 80 – 100 pounds per acre
* based on typical use timing in a corn and soybean cropping system.
References and Resources
SARE. 2007. Managing Cover Crops Profitably, 3rd edition. Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education, College Park, MD.
MCCC. 2020. Cover Crop Selector Tool. Midwest Cover Crops Council, West Lafayette, IN.
Mark Licht Associate Professor
Dr. Mark Licht is an associate professor and extension cropping systems specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. His extension, research and teaching program is focused on how to holistically manage Iowa cropping systems to achieve productivity, profitability and en...