Grasses
Cereal Rye (Elbon)
Cereal Rye has an excellent fibrous root system that alleviates surface compaction. Rye can be successful planted later then almost any other cover crop due to its low germination and growth temperature requirements. Cereal rye is known for being the best cereal crop at retaining residual N. It's typical for a fall planted cereal rye crop to scavenge on average 25 to 50 lbs of N, with cases scavenging in excess of 100 lbs of N. The vigorous spring growth has successful weed suppression through competition and allelopathic chemicals. Rye can be terminated in the spring through the alternative methods of rolling, mowing, or crimping after boot stage. Rye will out yield any other cereal crops when planted in droughty, infertile, or sandy soils.
from $0.30 per lb
Black Oats (Cosaque)
Cosaque black oats offer several advantages over traditional oats, including superior nutritional value, digestibility, palatability, and a robust tillering capacity. They exhibit forage yields comparable to cereal rye and demonstrate good winter hardiness, often serving as a winter annual crop in southern regions. Notably, these oats thrive even in low-quality soils, contributing to soil restoration and enrichment due to their exceptional root system. A great fall grazing option across the U.S. and a great overwintering grass as you get south of Interstate-70.
from $0.36 per lb
Cereal Rye (Hazlet)
Cereal Rye has an excellent fibrous root system that alleviates surface compaction. Rye can be successful planted later then almost any other cover crop due to its low germination and growth temperature requirements. Cereal rye is known for being the best cereal crop at retaining residual N. It's typical for a fall planted cereal rye crop to scavenge on average 25 to 50 lbs of N, with cases scavenging in excess of 100 lbs of N. The vigorous spring growth has successful weed suppression through competition and allelopathic chemicals. Rye can be terminated in the spring through the alternative methods of rolling, mowing, or crimping after boot stage. Rye will out yield any other cereal crops when planted in droughty, infertile, or sandy soils.
from $0.28 per lb
Forage Sorghum (Coes)
Coes is a dual purpose sorghum developed in the arid, high plains of eastern Colorado. It is a cost effective addition to a warm season grazing or hay mix but can also be used in wildlife mixes since it will produce seed heads after about 60 days. This is a short to medium statured forage sorghum and has very good drought tolerance.
from $0.65 per lb
Sorghum Sudan (Sweet Six Dry Stalk BMR)
Sweet Six Dry Stalk BMR is designed for use in haying or silage situations in non-arid environments. The stalk will shatter when harvested, helping to speed the dry down process. The BMR trait contributes to a highly digestible forage option for livestock.
from $1.70 per lb
Sudangrass (Piper)
Sudangrass is a super fast growing, fine stemmed warm season annual grass. If summer weed suppression was the goal, this would be one of the best species to accomplish that. Sudangrass is commonly crossed with sorghum to make sorghum-sudan which Takes the fast, tall growing, fine stemmed traits of sudangrass and combines it with the wider leaf and oftentimes higher forage quality of sorghum. For the best grazing digestibility, a BMR (brown midrib) sorghum sudan is usually used which has less lignin.
from $1.45 per lb
Spring Oats (Rushmore)
Spring oats are an excellent choice for quick ground cover in the spring or fall. Rapid growth aids in stabilizing disturbed or bare soil from environmental conditions. Spring oats make a great addition to any spring grazing or forage mix providing ample tonnage for your livestock. Oats can be easily chemically terminated and fall plantings commonly winterkill. Residue from oats suppress winter annuals and protect the soil throughout the winter and will decompose rapidly in the spring. Allelopathic chemicals released by the decomposing residue suppress weed germination for a few weeks. The high quality oat forage is more palatable than rye or wheat. Also, oat is less prone to insect problems than either wheat or barley.
from $0.36 per lb
Annual Ryegrass (KB Supreme) - Diploid
Extending the grazing season while protecting and building the soil is a great benefit of this species. The biomass N content can range from 1.3-2.4% and varies depending on the amount of residual N left from the previous crop. Reports of annual ryegrass having the potential to scavenge up to 200 lbs of residual N/A/yr have been recorded. Ryegrass can be very successfully broadcast into established row crops. Winter killed ryegrass can still provide weed suppression, soil protection and trap residual N until spring. Ryegrass attracts very few pest insects that could pester the next crop. With lower needed seeding rates per acre means you will spend less of freight an your applicator can remain in the drill or in the air longer. I like the deep roots of annual ryegrass but when considering it for more northern area, it must be established prior to hard freezing in order to have the best chance of winter survival. keith@greencoverseed.com
from $1.00 per lb
Sorghum Sudan (XtraGraze BMR)
Xtra Graze BMR is a basic BMR sorghum sudangrass. This highly digestible forage sorghum sudan is great for forage situations, where no additional sorghum sudan traits are needed.
from $1.40 per lb
Annual Ryegrass (Ranahan) - Tetraploid
Annual ryegrass stands out as a captivating and remarkable grass within the realm of cover crops. It offers a plethora of advantages, including winter grazing, impressive yields, and an often underrated impact on breaking through compacted soils. Notably, tetraploid ryegrass boasts rapid establishment, extended and broader leaves, but that comes with a reduced cold tolerance when compared to its diploid annual ryegrass.
from $1.15 per lb
Forage Sorghum (Sweet Cane Max MS)
Sweet Cane Max is a medium maturity male sterile, forage sorghum. This hybrid fits well in a high-quality forage production or grazing operations. It has superior standability to other hybrids. Sweet Cane should be used in single cutting/grazing or winter grazing scenarios. When drying conditions are favorable it can be used for hay. Usually it is cut once the plant has headed out for highest sugar content or used for winter stockpile grazing. Sweet Cane will not produce grain unless pollinated with other sorghums, so isolation is recommended to protect sterility.
from $1.15 per lb
Organic Cereal Rye: Seed of Origin - KWS Serafino
Notice: This product may NOT be used for grain production, seed production, or mechanically harvested forage. Cereal Rye has an excellent fibrous root system that alleviates surface compaction. Rye can be successful planted later then almost any other cover crop due to its low germination and growth temperature requirements. Cereal rye is known for being the best cereal crop at retaining residual N. It's typical for a fall planted cereal rye crop to scavenge on average 25 to 50 lbs of N, with cases scavenging in excess of 100 lbs of N. The vigorous spring growth has successful weed suppression through competition and allelopathic chemicals. Rye can be terminated in the spring through the alternative methods of rolling, mowing, or crimping after boot stage. Rye will out yield any other cereal crops when planted in droughty, infertile, or sandy soils.
from $0.36 per lb
Forage Sorghum (Sorgrow D105 BMR MS)
This medium maturing forage sorghum offers the BMR and male sterile traits. Excellent option for single cut harvested forage, or stockpile grazing. The male sterile trait will help ensure no pollination assuming there are no other sorghum, sorghum sudan, or sudan grass stands nearby.
from $2.25 per lb
Cereal Rye: Seed of Origin - KWS Serafino
Notice: This product may NOT be used for grain production, seed production, or mechanically harvested forage. Rye has an excellent fibrous root system that alleviates surface compaction. Rye can be successful planted later then almost any other cover crop due to its low germination and growth temperature requirements. Cereal rye is known for being the best cereal crop at retaining residual N. It's typical for a fall planted cereal rye crop to scavenge on average 25 to 50 lbs of N, with cases scavenging in excess of 100 lbs of N. The vigorous spring growth has successful weed suppression through competition and allelopathic chemicals. Rye can be terminated in the spring through the alternative methods of rolling, mowing, or crimping after boot stage. Rye will out yield any other cereal crops when planted in droughty, infertile, or sandy soils.
from $0.28 per lb