All Cover Crops

Artichokes

The artichoke is a versatile plant in terms of soil type and geography.

Buckwheat

Canary Grass - Reed

(Phalaris arundinacea)

• Suitable for use in exposed northern sites - very good frost and winter hardiness
• Strong stems and thick leaves provide reliable cover
• Similar characteristics to conventional canary grass with the added benefits
• Sowing rate: 2.5 kilos per acre (untreated)

Chicory (Perennial)

• Creates tall, dense cover, bolting in its second year to create a flowering hedge.
• Good tolerance to drought, acid soils and major pests, avoid wet ground.
• Has high mineral content including zinc, potassium and copper
• Sowing rate: 2kg/acre. Pack size: 2 kilos/untreated

Decoy Game Mix

• Provides an excellent mixture where both cover and feed required.
• It is easy to sow and establish as all the seeds are of similar size.
• Ensure treated seed is well covered by harrowing and rolling.
• Includes: Linseed, Buckwheat, Millet, Fodder Radish & Mustard
• Sowing rate: 8kg/acre.

Fodder Radish

• A fast growing cover crop, ideal for failed spring crops.
• Speed of establishment aids weed suppression.
• Ideal as a green manure crop. 
• If sown July will be ready to provide cover within 6 to 8 weeks
• Sowing rate: 2.5kg/acre. 
• Pack size: 5 kilos/untreated 

Forage Rape

• Rapid establishment, medium-to-tall, palatable
• Above average dry matter yields.
• Good general disease resistance
• Sowing rate: 4kg (broadcast) / 2.5kg (direct drill) per acre
• Pack size: 5kg & 25kg / untreated

Forage Rye

• Forage Rye is grown as a catch crop, being removed in April to be followed in turn by other forage/catch crops such as kale, turnips, forage peas or even another cereal
• If left later than April can produce vast amounts of dry matter that may lock up the available nitrogen absorbed during the winter
• Sowing rate: 75 kilos per acre
• Pack size: 25 kilos untreated 

Four Ten Mix

• 10 kilos Game Maize & 4 kilos Dwarf Sorghum - 14 kilo mixture.
• Dwarf Sorghum will provide added warmth and cover below maize.
• It will provide cover throughout the season and some feed.
• Both crops have similar husbandry techniques.
• Pack size: 14 kilos (1 acre) . Fungicide treated

Jonty

Kale - Gruner Angeliter

 A very high yielding variety with good winter hardiness and excellent feeding quality with fresh yields 15% higher than Caledonian Kale and 10% higher than Bittern in German trials. Gruner Angeliter has been the mainstay forage variety of Kale in New Zealand and has been tried and tested for many years and is still very popular today.

• sow at 2 - 3 kilos per acre
• Flea Beetle treated

Kale - Proteor

Proteor is a medium height variety with thin stems with a high leaf to stem ratio. Produces a good canopy for holding and driving quality game. Good winter hardiness, can be used throughout the autumn and winter.

• sow at 2 - 3 kilos per acre
• Flea Beetle treated

Kale - Thousand Head

Thousand Head is a slender stemmed variety bearing leafy foliage with very high D value and dry matter content. It has excellent winter hardiness providing forage for feeding after Christmas. Thousand Head can supply approximately 90 tonnes/ha of green forage matter.

• sow at 2 - 3 kilos per acre
• Rovral, Thiram, Seperit treated

Kwik Fix

• 1.50 kg Mustard & 3.50 kg Fodder Radish mixture
• Ideal mixture to replace or patch failed spring game cover
• A unique combination of the fastest growing game cover species
• Fodder radish can provide 2 feet of quality cover in approximately 6 weeks (subject to weather) and is immune to Brassica sickness (clubroot)
• Mustard increases the cover element and prolongs the cover period
• Will not provide full season cover
• Sowing rate: 5 kilos/acre. Pack size: 5 kilos untreate

Late Cover Mix

• A versatile and easy cover to establish in all areas
• A rapidly establishing and maturing mixture providing winter cover
• Often used as a patching crop when spring crops fail, will tolerate some drought conditions
• Includes: Forage rape, Stubble Turnips, Mustard
• Sowing rate: 5 kilos/acre.  Pack size: 5 kilos (untreated)

Linseed

Lucerne

• A longer term perennial clover which fixes large quantities of nitrogen
• The plant has a very large tap root and is ideally suited to light and chalky soils as well as dry climates
• All Lucerne organic and conventional seed should be inoculated
• Sowing rate: 8-10kg / acre (broadcast)
• Pack size: 25kg / pre- inoculated 

Maize - All Season Blend

• A blend of 3 varieties of maize with differing maturity dates and plant types.
• Will produce early maturing cobs and later plant types with increased leaf area.
• High vigour for good early establishment to ensure a good winter stand.
• The blend offers security where conditions may affect establishment or growth.
• Treated with Thiram (fungicide) and Mesurol (insecticide).
• Packed in 45,000 seed unit of approx 14 kilos (1 acre).

Maize - Double Gold Game Cover

Maize - Rapid Fire Game

• A good hybrid selection with high germination that will provide feed and cover.
• Treated with thiram fungicide and Mesurol.
• Packed in 50,000 seed units (1 acre).
• Very good standing, medium maturity and good cob development.

Millet - Ambush Mix

• 60% White Millet, 40% Japanese Reed Millet
• The strong reed millet plant provides long season cover for flushing
• White millet will provide the feed to hold the birds in the cover
• Ideally suited for use as a wind proof belt or flushing point around maize
• Winter hardy allowing it to be used right through the shooting season
• Pack size: 5 kilos (1 acre)
  

Millet - Millgame Mix

50% Red Millet and 50% White Millet

• Can be grown straight or is ideal for sowing with game maize or kale
• For best results- drill maize as normal, then broadcast/drill Millgame at right angles
• Maize and millgame combined will provide a steady release of birds from a block rather than an explosion
• Millgame can provide approximately 1-2000 Kg of high protein feed per acre
• Pack size: 5 kilos (1 acre)
  

Millet - Red

• Will produce a plentiful supply of small seeds for birds if grown on its own
• Often sown in conjunction with maize or kale to provide feed and flushing areas
• It is vigorous and will grow to a height of 90cm
• White millet is thicker leaved and has a higher seed production than red millet
• Ideally suited as a wind break
• Pack size: 10 kilos (2 acres) - untreated
  

Millet - White

• Will produce a plentiful supply of small seeds for birds if grown on its own
• Often sown in conjunction with maize or kale to provide feed and flushing areas
• It is vigorous and will grow to a height of 90cm
• White millet is thicker leaved and has a higher seed production than red millet
• Ideally suited as a wind break
• Pack size: 10 kilos (2 acres) - untreated
  

Mustard - White

• Mustard is a relatively inexpensive and highly versatile cover crop.
• Can be sown alone or as a companion to other species.
• Ideal for early cover, killed off by frost will create shelter for birds.
• Popular as a green manure crop - broadcast at 10 kilos per acre.
• Cover crop sowing rate - 5kilos/acre
• Pack size - 10kg and 25kg untreated

Northern Star Game Mix

• Ideal for use in colder, more exposed areas. Will provide a haven of cover & feed 
• Advisable to sow in wide rows to enable birds to have free access.
• Includes: Triticale, Tic Beans, Forage Rape, Kale & Yellow Blossom Clover
• Sowing rate: 20kg/acre.  Pack size: 20 kilos/untreated

Overdrive - Quinoa/Kale Mix

50% Quinoa and 50% Gruner Angeliter Kale (Flea beetle treated)

• Benefits from the excellent winter hardy cover of kale and feeding potential of quinoa
• This is the most universal cover and feed mixture
• The quinoa will provide high protein feed with kale keeping the birds dry
• Can be used on set aside ground
• Sowing rate: 2.5kg/acre. Pack size: 2.5 kg/treated

Phacelia

• Establishes fast and matures within 10-12 weeks
• Produces a large root mass making the plant an excellent soil improver and 
• weed suppressant
• Will produce a multitude of flowers attracting beneficial insects
• Needs to be cut and incorporated into the soil well before setting seed or the stems will become woody and slow to decompose
• The plant is a good nitrogen scavenger but can be slow to release this to the following crop 
• Sowing rate: 2-3kg / acre (broadcast), 2kg / acre (direct drill)
• Pack size: 5kg untreated

Quinoa

• Quinoa is capable of producing a plentiful amount of seed and is a popular choice of crop for holding partridge and pheasant.
• Many species of seed-eating song birds are also attracted to the crop.
• Commonly grown with Kale, the Quinoa provides cover and feed until it begins to collapse in the first frosts with the Kale providing more permanent cover.
• Sowing rate: 2kg/acre. Pack size: 1 kilo/untreated

Sorghum - Giant

• Giant Sorghum is a Sorghum x Sudan grass hybrid
• Produces a dense cover that can grow 2-3 metres tall
• Developed to provide plenty of cover through the key winter months
• Deep roots make it drought resistant
• Works well as a windbreak for warmth around maize or artichokes
• Sorghum is useful for flushing as it encourages the birds to lift above the cover
• Pack size: 12 kilos ( 1 acre)
  

Sorghum - Hybrid Dwarf

• A short, large leaf variety of sorghum with substantial seed-head
• Very good standing power
• Ideal cover providing a warm holding area for birds
• Average height 1 - 1.25m
• Pack size: 8 kilos (1 acre)

Sunflower - Dwarf

• A stiff stemmed, shorter hybrid variety
• An effective feed crop for southern shoots
• May be difficult to utilise by game if not swiped down
• Best results when sown as part of a game mix or with kale
• Pack size: 5 kilos ( 1 acre)
  

Sunflower - Tall

• Variable height, but generally tall, uncertified.
• For best utilisation of this crop it should be "swiped down" to enable game birds to reach the seeds.
• Sowing rate: 5kg/acre
• Pack size: 5kg/untreated

Sweet Clover (Yellow Blossom)

• A biennial plant which can persist for several years.
• Its sweet smell and copious production of nectar is highly attractive to insects, which in turn attract game birds and wildilfe.
• Sown with Kale will help provide cover in the first year.
• Being leguminous and deep rooted is invaluable for improving soil structure/fertility.
• Sowing rate: 2.5 kilos/acre.   Pack size: 1 kilo/untreated

Traditional Game Cover Mix

Triticale - Spring

• A wheat/rye hybrid cereal providing good cover and feed in marginal low fertility areas where it will thrive with little input.
• Useful in situations where maize and millet are not options and where Brassica Sickness is a problem.
• Good winter hardiness and disease resistance.
• Sowing rate: 50kgs/acre.  Pack size: 25 kg (treatments vary) 

ViTTASSO Brown Mustard

• Green manure crop with biofumigant properties
• Winter-hardy, easy to establish, cost effective
• Use to control soil-borne pests and diseases
• Sow at 5 kg per hectare. Two hectare packs
• ViTTASSO Brown Mustard Brochure