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Cover crop termination review for 2023

April 3, 2023 11:35 AM
Blog Post

The warmer weather forecast has me thinking about new beginnings and the resurrection of our dormant overwintering cover crops. While some will let the covers grow for some time yet, those covers in fields going to corn this spring will likely be terminated in the next few weeks. Regardless of when you choose to terminate your cover crop, remember that the best management practice is to terminate 10-14 days ahead of corn planting. Timing is less critical for soybean, but killing the cover crop prior to soybean emergence reduces risk to crop yield.

Cereal rye, winter wheat, triticale as a cover crop

Encyclopedia Article

Secale cereale (cereal rye)

Triticum aestivum (winter wheat)

X Tritisecale (triticale)

Type: cool season winter annual grass

Pros: good fit following silage or seed corn production; high potential to scavenge nutrients, suppress weeds, improve soil health, prevent erosion

Overwintering potential: yes

Planting date: late August through October

Category: 
Crop: 

Considerations when Overseeding Cover Crops

July 13, 2021

In the last decade, cover crops have grown in both interest and acres, yet there is still room for more adoption across Iowa and the region. It is obvious that cover crops require more management though and with that management there will undoubtedly be challenges. In just a few weeks the cycle for cover crop establishment, growth and termination will begin.

Category: 
Crop: 

Termination Timing of Cereal Rye Cover Crop for Improved Weed Control in Soybean

April 20, 2021
tractor planting in cover crop

Current cooler weather conditions are posing challenges for growers with a cereal rye cover crop to get it terminated. However, for growers planning to plant soybeans into the rye cover crop, there may be a perk to letting the rye cover crop accumulate more biomass. That perk being the cover crop biomass can help with weed suppression. The ability of cereal rye to suppress weeds is directly related to the biomass accumulation at the time of termination.

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To terminate or not to terminate?

April 15, 2021

Current cool temperatures increase the risk of failures in terminating cover crops. While cereal rye continues to grow during these conditions, activity of herbicides is reduced. Translocation of glyphosate to growing points is reduced under cool temperatures, slowing activity and increasing the potential for control failures. It is generally recommended to avoid applications when nighttime temperatures fall below 40 F, and we prefer temperatures at application to be at least in the mid-50s with clear skies.

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Using Cereal Rye Cover Crop and Narrow-Row Soybean to Manage Herbicide-Resistant Waterhemp

August 6, 2020
Waterhemp density in soybean with marginal (left) vs. aggressive weed control program plus harvest weed seed control (right) in previous year’s corn.

Waterhemp control is an increasing challenge for soybean producers due to the evolution of multiple herbicide-resistant populations. With dwindling herbicide resources, there is a need to integrate non-chemical strategies into current weed management programs in soybean. Cereal rye is the most common cover crop grown in the Midwest due to its winter hardiness and short life cycle. The high C:N ratio of cereal rye compared to legume or brassica cover crops results in a slow degradation of the residues; thereby, increasing the duration of weed suppression.

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Spring Cover Crop Termination

March 21, 2019
cereal rye cover crop spring growth

Spring weather has finally arrived and fieldwork will begin soon. Iowa State University research suggests cereal rye should be terminated at least 10-14 days prior to planting corn, so the favorable weather forecast may allow some farmers to begin terminating overwintered cover crops in the next few weeks.

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Reducing the Risk of Corn Seedling Disease, Yield Loss After Cereal Rye Cover Crop

December 7, 2016

Despite the environmental and soil benefits that cover crops provide, many farmers are reluctant to try cover crops because of reports of possible yield reduction in the following crop. Recently, Dr. Sotorius Archontoulis suggested that biotic factors could influence whether rye affects corn yield.

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