Green Cover & Catch Crops
Philip Reck
Farm Manager
Walter Furlong Grain Ltd, Wexford
What are Cover Crops
• Grown to improve the soil.
• For grazing of livestock.
• Benefit to the subsequent crop.
• Add fertility.
• Reduce input costs.
• Reduce cultivations.
Where do Cover Crops fit in?
• GLAS
• EFA’s
• Equivalence.
• Improving rotations.
• Grazing.
• Improving soil structure.
The Benefits of Grazing Brassicas
•Able to produce high DM yield in short growing season to reduce feed deficits (winter/summer and autumn).
•Reduce feed costs.
•Reduce winter housing costs.
•Reduce labour and machinery requirements for feeding.
•Reduce machinery costs associated with silage and manure handling.
•Reduce exposure to forage shortages in droughts.
Feeding Systems• Do not allow sudden unrestricted access
-Introduce over 7-10 days
• Strip graze – long narrow breaks
- Maximum utilisation
- Back fence
- Place bales in crop during dry period.
• Provide run back
• Balance diet – feed fibre, feed minerals
• Ensure good water supply
Brassica crops are a versatile feeding solution to fill summer grazing gaps, extend autumn grazing and support out-wintering
systems
Fertiliser RequirementsCrop N
Index1
NIndex
2
NIndex
3
NIndex
4
PIndex
1
PIndex
2
PIndex
3
PIndex
4
Swedes 90 70 40 20 70 60 40 40
Kale 150 130 100 70 60 50 30 0
ForageRape
130 120 110 90 40 30 20 0
Potassium: No limits. Maintenance dress depending on indices. Brassicas have low K requirement.
Crop Variety Sowing time Seeding rate (per acre)
Time of Utilisation
Expected DM Yield (t DM/ha)
DM% CP%
Kale Maris Kestrel
May-June 2.5 – 3.0 kg* November-February
10-12 14-16 16-18
Hybrid Brassica
Redstart April – August 3.5-4.0 kg June –February
6-8 12-14 18-20
Forage Rape Stego
July – August 3.5-4.0 kg October –February
4-6 12-14 18-20
Swede Marian May-June 400 grams November-February
10-12 10-12 10-12
Stubble Turnip
Tyfon April –September
2.0 -3.0 kg June –February
3-5 8-10 18-20
Redstart Hybrid Rape/Kale
Benefits of cover crops
• Improved soil structure
• Better drainage• Reduced
compaction• Reduced leaching
of nitrogen• Retained moisture
• Increased soil biodiversity
• Increased worm activity
• Erosion reduction• Improved soil
health
Ploughed + Over-wintered stubble
• Ploughed soil
• Anaerobic conditions.
• Slumped soil.
• Poor infiltration of rain.
• Visible compaction layers.
Min-Till + Cover Crop
• Min Till 10 years• Cover cropped 5 years• Improvement in soil
structure.• Yield benefit from
nutrient cycling• Improved moisture
retention.• Improved soil biology• Infiltration of rain
Establishment of Cover Crops
• Carrier with Bio Drill.
• Light cultivation by discs, seed broadcast and rolled in by packer.
• Moisture conserved through rolling.
• Timely establishment.
Legume based cover crops
• Improved soil structure• Healthier soil biology based
on biodiversity, introduction of new species proven to perform
• Improved infiltration and water holding capacity with better drainage
• Fix nitrogen• Increased earthworm
numbers
Radish + Vetch + Winter Peas
Highly Aggressive Taproot of Radish Grows Through Compacted Soil
Extracts nutrients from deep in the profile
Opens permanent channels for crop roots to follow
Improves water infiltration, water holding capacity and drainage
O2 for supporting microbial life
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The deep rooting of cover crops
• Natural structuring of the soil.
• Roots maintain friable nature of the soil.
• Deep rooting species can break through compaction.
• Reduce cultivations.
Life Cycle of Cover Crops
Absorb Store
Air and water move freely
Release of nutrients
• Improves water infiltration, water holding capacity and drainage.
• Reduces nutrient leaching; an environmental management tool
• Reduces erosion and soil loss with dense cover during winter.
• Absorbs remaining nutrients, N, P, K, S + TE left after harvest.
• Holds nutrients through the winter.
• Releases stored nutrients to spring crops.
• Soils till easily and hold moisture for emerging crop.
• Enhanced water quality.
Summary: Cover Crops
Thank your for your time.
Its what’s below the surface that counts