Brassicas

Impact forage collards are a cross between Georgia Southern collards and another leafy brassica and are one of the best grazing brassicas on the market. The large, smooth leaves are very palatable and our testing shows that these collards have the highest protein content in the brassica family. Collards can withstand some of the widest ranges of weather, from hot and dry in the summer, and surviving temperature down to the low single digits in the winter.

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Purple top turnips have been a staple grazing brassica for many years and are commonly used in late summer planted grazing mixes, often with a cool season cereal. Turnip bulbs are storehouses of nutrition and energy and are very valuable to winter grazers.

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Rapid fall growth in short windows, allows radishes to fit perfectly into a traditional corn and soybean rotation. Radish residue breaks down very quickly in the spring, leaving a clean seed bed until early April. The residue has been proven to inhibit small seeded annuals from germinating. Nutrients that were scavenged are readily released back into the soil for the subsequent crop. A field planted in radishes, will allow the soil to dry and warm faster in the spring. The large root channel left behind is rich in nutrients, allows tremendous water infiltration, reduces water erosion, and a path for crops roots to follow through compacted soil layers. During decomposition, radish biofumigates the soil which can reduce pest and nematode populations.

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Rape's rapid forage growth produces quality pasture equivalent to alfalfa, with a crude protein value around 16-17%. Boasted for its nutrient scavenging abilities, rape can accumulate potentially large amounts of residual N up to 120lbs N/A. Also, root exudates secreted by rape are known to aid in turning insoluble P into a more available form. Rapes seed cost is by far the cheapest of all the brassica species, generally less than $1/lb. Adding rape in between wheat crops has been shown to greatly reduce take-all in wheat. Rape has an excellent, deep penetrating tap-root with a dense fibourous root mass surrounding the tuber.

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Green Cover Seed is proud to market the all new Smart Radish. It is bred specifically for the cover crop and soil health market. The variety has a trait for higher plant tillering to provide more leaf area and higher plant biomass than many other radish options for forage, soil, cover and green manure. Larger leaves mean more solar collection area to harvest the sun’s energy, and the smoother leaf means it’s better for forage and grazing.

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African cabbage, a robust and rapidly growing brassica, thrives in a variety of warm season mixes, which makes it an intriguing option for interseeding into corn mixes. What sets it apart is its unique ability to stand tall and keep its leaves even in the face of cold weather, making it an exceptional choice for a snow-catching cover crop. Its enduring residue and strong root system enable captured snow to seep into the soil, enriching the moisture content in your land.

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Mustard produces significantly more glucosinolates than other brassicas, which biofumigates the soil during decomposition, proving to be toxic to many soil pathogens and pests. If this is your goal than another mustard species should be utilized, since this cultivar isn't as suited for this purpose. Growing mustard in a potato rotation was observed to increase tuber quality and yields similar to that of chemically fumigated fields. Other documented effects of having mustard in your rotation is suppressing potato early dying and reduced root rot in pea rotations. Some customers are concerned that these mustards are difficult to control like their wild cousins but actually they can be easily terminated with many commonly utilized herbicides. Mustard forage is known for its ability to be utilized as a natural dewormer in grazing systems.

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Mustard produces significantly more glucosinolates than other brassicas, which biofumigates the soil during decomposition, proving to be toxic to many soil pathogens and pests. To best utilize these glucosinolates, mature green vegetation should be turned into the soil. In no-till operations you will still benefit from having this species for this use. When allowed enough growing season, yellow mustard stem residue can remain erect throughout the winter months, aid in capturing snow to help build moisture in the soil profile. Growing mustard in a potato rotation was observed to increase tuber quality and yields similar to that of chemically fumigated fields. Other documented effects of having mustard in your rotation is suppressing potato early dying and reduced root rot in pea rotations. Some customers are concerned that these mustards are difficult to control like their wild cousins but actually they can be easily terminated with many commonly utilized herbicides.

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Mustard produces significantly more glucosinolates than other brassicas, which biofumigates the soil during decomposition, proving to be toxic to many soil pathogens and pests. To best utilize these glucosinolates, mature green vegetation should be turned into the soil. In no-till operations you will still benefit from having this species for this use. When allowed enough growing season, brown mustard stem residue can remain erect throughout the winter months, aid in capturing snow to help build moisture in the soil profile. Growing mustard in a potato rotation was observed to increase tuber quality and yields similar to that of chemically fumigated fields. Other documented effects of having mustard in your rotation is suppressing potato early dying and reduced root rot in pea rotations. Some customers are concerned that these mustards are difficult to control like their wild cousins but actually they can be easily terminated with many commonly utilized herbicides.

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Siberian Kale like many other brassicas are a great addition to mixes for deep taproots to access nutrients and water deep in the soil profile. This deep taproot allows for following crop roots or water to go deep in the soil profile. The wide leaf and good palatability of kale works great in grazing mixes for livestock. A good cold tolerant brassica can last deep into the fall for good fall and early winter grazing.

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Winter Camelina is the most cold tolerant brassica with the ability to overwinter in most areas. This brassica grows a small rosette in the fall and then grows upright after winter dormancy. This is a good brassica to add to later planted fall mixes in cases after fall harvested cash crops. Camelina can be a great addition ahead of spring cash crops with its ability to scavenge nitrogen and phosphorus.

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What is usually known as a salad green, arugula can also be used in cover crop mixes. Arugula is a dense, low growing brassica other than its white flower when it bolts. The bitter taste and smell of arugula is an indication that the glucosinolates give it a natural biofumigant use similar to mustards. Arugula is a very long season plant and if spring planted will stay green late into the fall.

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