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vetch
Michigan Cover Crop Species
Clovers and Medic - Oilseed Radish - Winter Wheat - Buckwheat - Oriental Mustard
Cowpea - Austrian Winter Pea - Hairy Vetch - Sorghum Sudangrass

Below is a selection of cover crops that are used in various systems in Michigan. There are also links to research out of state that would be valuable resources in aiding cover crop decisions.

crimson clover in wheatClovers and Medic:

  • Red Clover Overview of use, establishment and management of red clovers in Michigan.
  • Crimson Clover Overview of benefits, establishment and how crimson clover can be integrated into crop rotations.
  • Annual medics (Medicago spp.) are legumes closely related to alfalfa. They are true annuals flowering, setting seed and dying within one growing season (60 to 100 days). There are more than 35 known species of annual medics, all of which have their origins in the Mediterranean region.

Oilseed Radish:

oilseed radish
  • Oilseed Radish Overview of benefits, establishment and management of oilseed radish.
  • Oilseed Radish: A New Cover Crop for Michigan (PDF) A bulletin to help farmers manage oilseed radish cover crops in order to optimize those benefits and the efficiency of their farming systems. This publication summarizes results of studies conducted at the Michigan State University W.K. Kellogg Biological Station and the MSU Muck Research Farm, and in on-farm demonstrations. MSU Extension Bulletin E 2907.
  • Oilseed Radish Variety Trial (PDF)  Evaluation of four oilseed radish varieties for seeding rate, leaf and root biomass, and population. An on-farm research demonstration.
  • Effects of Nitrogen on Oilseed Radish (PDF) Evaluation of the influence of nitrogen on the growth of two oilseed radish varieties. An on-farm research demonstration.

Winter wheat:

  • Winter Annual Cover Crop (PDF) Wheat as an Early Spring Forage Source. Kurt Thelen and Rich Leep, Dept. of Crop and Soil Sciences, MSU.
    buckwheat

Buckwheat:

  • A comprehensive discussion of buckwheat, including its history, uses, growth habits and more.
  • General information on buckwheat from Cooperative Extension Service at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
  • A complete guide to buckwheat as a cover crop, from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Ontario, Canada.

Oriental Mustard:

  • An overviewof mustard green manure crops and associated farming practices in the Columbia Basin, from Washington State University Extension.
  • oriental mustardFrom Condiment to Agricultural Innovation: MSU Investigator Advances Oriental Mustard Research. An article discussing experiments using oriental mustard as a biofumigant to suppress fungal growth and disease symptoms in field crops, funded by a grant from Project GREEEN.
  • A complete guide to mustard as a cover crop, from the University of California Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (UC SAREP).

Cowpea:

  • A complete guide to cowpea as a cover crop,from the University of California Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (UC SAREP).
  • Cowpea Production: cowpeaSample Costs and Benefits as a Summer Cover Crop. Presentations of production costs and benefit analyses for cowpeas, based on the results of trials conducted by University of California researchers in the Coachella Valley in 1998.
  • Cowpea: A potential summer cover crop for Michigan growers General information about cowpea, from Michigan State University’s online Vegetable Crop Advisory Team Alert.

Austrian Winter Peas:

  • Austrian Winter Peas A general overview of Austrian winter pea as a cover crop, from the Kansas Rural Center Sustainable Agriculture Management Guides.
  • Austrian Winter Pea A brief description of Austrian winter pea, from the Montana State University Forage Extension Program.
  • Austrian Winter Peas for Dryland Green Manure A discussion of Austrian winter pea as a beneficial green manure, from the University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension Service.

hairy vetchHairy Vetch:

  • Hairy Vetch as a Cover Crop An overview of hairy vetch as a cover crop, from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
  • Hairy Vetch A complete guide to hairy vetch as a cover crop, from the University of California Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (UC SAREP).
  • Cover Crops: Hairy Vetch A complete guide to hairy vetch as a cover crop, from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Ontario, Canada.

Sorghum-Sudangrass:

  • Sorghum & Sudangrass A complete guide to sorghum and Sudangrass as cover crops, from the University of California Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (UC SAREP).
  • Sudangrass and Sorghum-Sudangrass Hybrids Comprehensive review of sudangrass and sorghum-sudangrass hybrids as cover crops, from Washington State University Cooperative Extension.
  • Forage Sorghum-Sudan Grass A complete guide to sorghum and sudangrass as cover crops, from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Ontario, Canada.
  • Sorghum-Sudangrass Hybrids General information on sorghum-sudangrass hybrids from the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

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