Environmental & Amenity
14th October 2019

Seed products offer soil benefits

Improved soil structure, weed control and more efficient fertiliser use, are all benefits to be gained by growing a cover crop.

You can take full benefit of an ‘added value’ cover crop after cereal or maize harvest, which will maximise your soils’ potential. Soil is one of your most valued natural resources, so it’s important to make good cropping choices that will help improve its properties.

There are many species of cover crop to choose from. Oilseed radishes (such as Edwin) have beet cyst nematode (BCN) resistance, as well as a very deep rooting system that will help compacted soils. White mustard is another useful cover crop; it is fast growing and if sown early, has bags of biomass. Varieties such as Vitaro are a non-host to both potato cyst nematode and cereal cyst nematodes.

Mixtures are also useful, especially if you are on EFA land. Sprinter is a mixture of black oat silke, and vetch. It is ideal for later sowing and acts as a good weed suppressant. The vetch is a legume species, so will produce free Nitrogen too. Lift N Fix also contains vetch, along with winter forage rye variety; Humbolt. This mixture is a highly effective Nitrogen lifter and can be grazed in early spring after the EFA period.

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Environmental & Amenity

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