If Dust is Flying, Keep Cover Crops in the Bag

If you are thinking about planting a cover crop, you may be worried about the dry conditions and forecast. You're not alone. Here are some things to consider as you decide how to move forward. 

Cover Crop Species Matters

Some species are better suited to face fall conditions than others. However, you need to make the best decision to achieve your cover cropping priorities, taking into consideration the soil moisture conditions. 

Clovers

We are now past the planting window for successful crimson, balansa, and berseem clover establishment in Pennsylvania. If you had been waiting for rain, it is time to switch species. For red clover specifically, you can wait and frost seed in late February, but only if you expect to leave the clover in until spring of 2027. 

Winter-Killed Species

For species like spring oats, forage radish, buckwheat, etc., consider how much growth you'll get before the first killing frost. Is the seed and planting operation worth the expense versus how much potential forage or other benefit you'll get out of it before it dies? If you plant today and the cover crop emerges within a few days, no problem. For example, buckwheat can be ready for termination in just 40 days, while oats can be ready to bale in 60-75 days (see Fall Oats for Forage or Straw).  Unfortunately, the typical quick germination we see with these species is jeopardized by the drought, so realistically, the growing window could be two weeks shorter than expected, as we wait for rain.

Winter-Hardy Species

Winter cereals, especially rye, can establish successfully even when planted in November or later. If you are looking for the nitrogen supply from a legume cover crop, hairy vetch is our most cold-tolerant option. While in the southeast, hairy vetch can still successfully be established into October, we are very close to the planting window closing further north and west. At the end of the day, cereal rye is your safest bet for successful late establishment.

Read in more detail about individual species in the Penn State Agronomy Guide (PDF) and Managing Cover Crops Profitably (PDF), or use the Northeast Cover Crop Council's Cover Crop Explorer tool to help find the best species for your situation. 

Seed Drills Help, But Can't Work Miracles

Understand that broadcasting cover crops without incorporation in this dry weather is bound to fail. Drilling the cover crop assures good seed to soil contact and helps seeds reach moisture as well. One detail you can change is to plant the cover crop seed a bit deeper than usual (to 2 inches deep). If you can't drill, at least follow a broadcast pass with vertical tillage or a harrow and cultipacker. But, as dry as it is now, even drilling won't help much with accessing moisture. If the seed emerges and there is no moisture, the stand could be reduced, especially on higher spots in the landscape.

Take-Home Message

If you plant seeds now and it doesn't rain for two weeks, emergence may be erratic and 3-4 weeks away. All that time, seeds are vulnerable to disease, vertebrate and invertebrate pests, and growth prior to the onset of winter will be limited. 

We therefore recommend that you wait to plant until you see rain in the forecast, and at that time, only drill the most winterhardy species, such as cereal rye or winter wheat.