This document discusses the benefits of various cover crops for agriculture production. It summarizes research showing that cereal rye and rapeseed provided increased protection for soybeans against soybean cyst nematodes, Rhizoctonia, brown stem rot, and foliar diseases like Septoria brown spot. Cereal rye and annual ryegrass were shown to significantly reduce soybean cyst nematode egg counts. Cover crops like cereal rye, rapeseed, and annual ryegrass also provided effective weed control through mulching and allelopathy. The document provides tips for establishing cover crops and using them in no-till systems for weed control and other benefits.

1. Cover Crop Benefits
in
Agriculture Production
Michael Plumer

2. Cover Crops
managing for benefits
• Radish weed control, nematode
reduction
• Cereal rye weed control, nematode
reduction
• Hairy vetch weed control by mulch
• Annual ryegrass nematode reduction, mulch
effect
• Crimson clover mulch effect
• Rapeseed disease reduction, nematode
reduction
• Spring oats fall weed control

3. Disease Reduction by Cereal rye and
rapeseed
3 year study at 8 locations in Illinois
• Septoria brown spot- significant reduction
behind cover crop, especially following cereal
rye
• Bacterial blight –no infection found behind
cover crop
Bond, SIU—Eastburn, U of Il.

4. Disease Reduction
• Rhizoctonia – significantly reduced with cereal
rye and rapeseed
– Increased soybean stand behind cereal rye and
rapeseed
– Reduction in Rhizoctonia lesions
– Soybean yield significantly higher following cereal
rye vs no cover crop
Bond, SIU—Eastburn, U of Il

5. Rapeseed in late April controlling winter annuals

6. Soybean after green manure of rapeseedSoybean – No winter cover crop
SDS showing
Disease suppression by crops

7. Treatment SCN
eggs/100cc
Changes in
Egg count
SDS Foliar
Disease
DX 8/26
Foliar
Disease
AUDPC
Yield
(bu/A)
Fallow (No winter crop) +589 a 25.2 a 157.7 a 65.4 b
Cover crop (rapeseed) -313 b 16.8 b 103.9 a 67.5 ab
Green manure (rapeseed) -691 b 5.5 c 37.1 b 69.6 a
P > F .002 .0001 .001 0.07
Means followed by the same letter are not significant (P=0.05), according to Fisher’s LSD test.
J. Bond, SIU

8. Soybean cyst nematodes
• Significant reductions following cereal rye and
rapeseed at all 8 locations all 3 years

9. 3 year 8 location summary
• Cereal rye and rapeseed showed that they
provided increased protection of soybeans
against the effects of:
– SDS
– Rhizoctonia
– Soybean cyst nematodes
– Brown stem rot ----cereal rye
Bond, SIU --Eastburn, U of Il.

10. Soybean
Cyst
nematode
suppression
by annual
ryegrass
Treatment NW Plot yield SW Plot yield
Bare soil 48.9 48.2
Cereal rye 53.8 52.3
Annual ryegrass 55.7 60.6
Plumer, U of Il
Soybean Cyst Nematodes
Egg Count
Bare Cereal Rye Annual Ryegrass
NW 7533 717* 117**
SW 3650 320* 0**
LF 1559 722* 386*
JA 1202 390* 279*

11. Dense stand of crimson clover controlling
winter annuals and early spring weeds

12. Annual ryegrass winter annual control

13. Ryegrass suppression of Palmers
amaranth
U of Florida
Ryegrass cover crop

14. Hairy Vetch, mulch controlling most
winter annuals

15. Hairy vetch mulch with only 2,4-D, atrazine
Weed control variable due to speed of vetch decomposition

16. difference in vetch varieties

17. Understanding what a good stand really is for weed control

18. Annual ryegrass with vetch and crimson clover 5 days after
herbicide application--2,4-D and 1.25# ae glyphosate
Controls winter annuals

19. Understanding cereal rye and weed
control
• Good allelophathy when young
• Requires uniform stand seeded on time
– Same time as wheat for best control
• Seeding rate for weed control 70-90#/a
– Depends on planting date
• For good weed control must grow till anthesis
– Earlier kill, reduces level of weed control -- only
winter annuals
• There are significant differences in varieties

20. Weed Control
• Controlling resistant weeds with cereal rye
– Glyphosate resistant marestail (horseweed)
• Herbicide program: $40/a + not always effective
• Cereal rye $16-24/a
– Mulch and allelopathy effect from high residue
cereal rye cover crop

21. Aerial seed with cereal rye, radish
Had sunlight on the ground at seeding

22. Serious mares tail population, 3 year study

23. Cereal rye
70#/a
WEED CONTROL
Plumer2012

24. Replicated trial, rye residue removed mid May 2013

25. % Resistant Marestail Control
with cereal rye cover crop
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
14 day rating 30 day rating
no rye-- 2 glyphosate
applications
rye removed
rye cover
3 year study; 8 replications
Glyphosate sprayed mid May and 2 weeks later at 1.5#/a ae

26. Uniform solid stand is critical for weed control

27. Rye at pollination, only time to get good control
by crimping– ave. 95+%

28. Crimped and drilled soybeans

29. This is the level of rye cover that is needed
for good weed control

30. Stage of
growth when
cereal rye can
damage corn
the most
Allelopathy issues
Corn must be planted 2” deep and slot tightly closed
to reduce problem, or wait 2 weeks after killing rye to plant

31. Mature cereal rye mulch with only glyphosate
burndown- June planting

32. Corn into high residue issues
• Cover crop removes all the nitrogen in top 12” of
soil- soil tests show < 3#/a at cover termination
• Requires in furrow nitrogen, and/or 50-70#/a
surface applied at planting- issue of tie up surface
applied as well—or 30+ #/a starter
• Early research shows cover crop nitrogen takes
temperature, moisture and time to become
available

33. Oats and radish controlling winter annuals

34. New radish developments
• 2014 there were 34 different varieties
• Many have totally different qualities
– Kill different nematodes or propagates nematodes
– Michigan State University doing extensive work
• Work starting on evaluation for soybean cyst
nematode, root knot nematode, sugar beet
nematode, corn nematodes

35. Radish- which one do you want

36. Consider cover crop strip till
• Requires precision planting
• Requires good GPS autosteer/RTK
• Needs to be timely
– Getting it planted on time is important
• Reduce seeding rate in strip
– Radishes 1—1.5#/a
– Rapeseed 3-4#/a
• Controls winter and early weeds while
providing “bare, tilled” row for early planting

37. How to plant one cover crop in 30” rows

38. Bio-strip till with radish and rapeseed

39. Bio strip till 30” cover crops
1.5#/a radish Rapeseed 2#/a
Feb. 15

40. Planting on bio-till row of dead Radish

41. Seeding on the Radish winter killed row—notice low residue in row

42. Establishment –early or perennial
cover crops
• Annual ryegrass/legumes establishment at V-6 to7
• Seeding middles only
improves establishment and
planting crop next spring in strips
• Use less seed
• Increased fall growth
• Better winter hardiness
• Increased fall grazing
• Improve weed control
Dr. W Curran, Penn State U.

43. Weeds
If Tillage and Herbicides controlled
weeds---
Why are we still doing it every year??
Dr. D. Beck

44. Questions??