Tips for Spring Cover Crop Management

The Whole Farm Conservation Best Practices Manual offers great tips for spring management of cover crops – from termination to planter settings and more!

Cover crops that survive the winter, like cereal rye, must be terminated in the spring ahead of planting, to avoid affecting corn and soybean crop yields. There are four methods of termination approved by RMA to fully insure the upcoming corn and soybeans. Their success rate and the confidence in that success is illustrated in the graphic below.

Timing is also an important factor in successful termination.

• With corn, terminate the cover crop before it is 8 inches tall, and 10 to 14 days before planting corn.
• With soybean, terminate the cover crop before it is 12 inches tall, and 3 to 7 days before planting soybean.
• If spring weather conditions are abnormally dry, terminate cover crops earlier than otherwise recommended.

Planting corn or soybean after a cover crop requires minimal change. Follow best management practices for the corn or soybean crop, and the fundamental principles that maximize production efficiency:

• Plant based on soil conditions, but realize that suitable soil conditions may be a day or two later than without cover crops.
• Wait for conducive field conditions with a soil temperature at 50ºF and rising. At a soil temperature of 50ºF or warmer, there is robust seed germination, and vigorous seedling emergence, growth, and establishment.

Nitrogen management is also important to consider when corn is following cereal rye.

• Move nitrogen application to the spring close to the time of corn planting.
• Starter fertilizers may be beneficial to minimize impact of nitrogen immobilization due to cover crop root and residue decomposition.
• There is no need to adjust nitrogen rates following winter cereal grain cover crops.

Four more tips for managing cover crops successfully.