Download Cover Crop Overview CT Soil Health Workshop Camille Abdel

Cover Crop Overview
CT Soil Health Workshop
Camille Abdel-Nabi
Little River Farm
Exeter,RI
[email protected]
Little River Farm
• Started in 2013, ending 3rd
year of production
• 3 acres certified organic
vegetables
• 1 Farmer’s Market, 60
member CSA, wholesale to
restaurants
• Conservation Tillage
Main Approach to Cover Cropping
• High Residue system- majority of cover crops are flail mowed and then hit
with power harrow. Majority of debris is left on surface.
• Solarizing used to speed up decomposition of cover crops, especially before
direct seeded crops- clear plastic or silage tarps
• Mixtures- always try to combine biomass producer with legume ex:
oats/peas/clover, rye/ vetch. Ratio: 1/3 grass to 2/3 legume
• Always have soil covered
• Always have one cover crop in bloom for pollinators
• Plan out cover crop schedule in wintertime alongside vegetable crop
rotation
Rye/Vetch
• Optimal planting date
Sept 1st-Oct 15th
• Increase lb/ acre the later
you plant in the fall
• Drill if possible
• Terminate when vetch is
flowering or 3 weeks
before planting date
• Hard to kill, can” poison”
following crop
Oats/ Peas or Oats/ Crimson Clover
• Optimal planting date
:Aug 1st- Sept 1st
• Oats/Peas: Frost kills,
good for early spring
crops
• Oats/clover: Oats act as
nurse crop for clover,
which goes dormant in
winter and blooms in
spring
Crimson Clover
• Undersowed into fall
planted brassicas
• Brassicas planted July
15th, clover planted
August 9th
• Attracts pollinators in
spring
• Fixes nitrogen
• Much easier to kill
than Rye
Sorghum-Sudangrass
• Optimal Planting: Mid
June- Mid July or soil
temp above 50 degrees
• Biomass!!
• Mow at 2-3 ft to
increase root growth
and plant regrowth
• Frost Kills, good for
early spring crops
Buckwheat
• Optimal Planting: Early
May- Late June
• Can squeeze it in
between spring and fall
crops, about 35 days to
flower
• Suppresses weeds,
attracts pollinators
• Be careful to not let it go
to seed
Experiments- Phacelia
• Loved by pollinators
• Can tolerate cool soil
temperatures, plant early April
• Used on plots where vegetable
crops were grown for winter
market and fall cover crop
could not be planted
• Seed is very expensive and hard
to find
Experiments- Roll and Crimp/ No-Till
• Rye/Vetch rolled with
disengaged flail mower on
June 10th
• Immeditaley covered with
clear plastic for 3 weeks
• Broadforked, but not tilled
or plowed
• Tomatoes and Summer
Squash planted directly into
high-residue surface