All Cover Crop Species

Sunflowers are another great option when it comes to cover crops, whether used straight or in a mixture to produce combined benefits.

• Standard tall variety.
• Excellent nectar rich flowers provide food for pollinators.
• Dead flower heads provide an ideal overwintering habitat for pollinators. 
• Frequently sown as part of a game cover mixture or with Kale.
• Sowing rate: 5kg per acre.

White clover is widely used throughout the UK. It is an important element of many silage and grazing mixtures, thanks to its persistence and nitrogen fixing properties.

• A longer term and more persistent option than Red Clover
• Very palatable for livestock and high in protein 
• Continued defoliation stimulates root growth and nitrogen fixation
• Prefers to be shallow sown into a fine, firm seed bed
• Sowing rate: 5-10kg / ha

Yellow Blossom Clover is a biennial plant that can persist for several years due to its self regenerating properties. 

• A deep rooted legume that improves soil structure and fertility
• Nectar rich specie which attracts pollinators to aid future crops
• Often sown with Kale to help provide cover in the first year
• Stems become woody in second year to help with standing
• Sowing rate: 5kg / ha

A nitrogen fixing legume which is better adapted to wet, acidic soils and cooler temperatures. Requires shallow sowing and a firm seedbed.

• Scandinavian origin and better adapted than Red or White Clover to wet acid soils and cooler conditions
• Growth habit similar to Red Clover
• Lower yielding of biomass
• Requires shallow sowing and a firm seedbed
• Sowing rate: 25kg per acre. Packsize: 25kg

BINGO purple vetch is an exciting development in short term cover cropping and establishes quickly producing good levels of bio-mass. Purple vetch is very susceptible to frost and will be removed quickly when temperatures drop below freezing. 

• Very frost sensitive
• Fast to establish
• Nitrogen fixing
• Suites early autumn sowings 
• Sowing rate: 20kg / ha

Vetch will fix substantial amounts of nitrogen, which is easily accessible for future crops. Vigorous spring growth suppresses weeds and protects the soil from erosion. 

• Fast establishing legume which is an excellent weed suppressor
• Provides substantial amounts of nitrogen which is available to the following crop
• A vigorous legume that does best on dry, alkaline soils
• Commonly sown as a mixture with Forage Rye
• Sowing rate: 50kg / ha

With an extensive root development and an impressive yield of dry matter. If not incorporated, surviving plants are usually killed by winter frosts.

• Fast and easy to establish providing rapid ground cover and weed suppression
• Rapid breakdown of organic material after incorporation releases nutrients
• Extensive root development protects soil from errosion and breaks compaction
• Cost effective solution for using with crop rotations
• Sowing rate: 25kg / ha

Hairy vetch fix substantial amounts of nitrogen, which is easily accessible for future crops. Vigorous spring growth suppresses weeds and protects the soil from erosion. 
 

• Fast establishing legume which is an excellent weed suppressor
• Provides substantial amounts of nitrogen which is available to the following crop
• A vigorous legume that does best on dry, alkaline soils
• Commonly sown as a mixture with Forage Rye
• Sowing rate: 50kg / ha

NACRE winter vetch is ideal for both Autumn or Spring sowing with superior establishment and frost tolerance. Strong nitrogen fixing properties and excellent resistance to disease.

• Superior establishment and fast growth act as an excellent weed suppressor
• Produces large amounts of nitrogen, which break down easily for the following crop
• Annual legume that performs best on dry, alkaline soils
• Commonly sown as a companion crop with Forage Rye
• Sowing rate: 50kg / ha

Crimson clover is a brightly coloured legume which attracts a large numbers of insects. Tolerant of poor soils provided they are alkaline and free draining. 

• Excellent weed suppressor, fast establishing and good nitrogen fixer
• Lower yields of biomass than Red Clover but has much shorter growing period
• Biomass degrades very quickly in the soil releasing nutrients for future crops
• Will over-winter in Southern England for autumn sowing and spring incorporation
• Sowing rate: 15kg / ha

LIFAGO buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum) is a different species to conventional buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) - particularly suited to grow as a companion crop with oilseed rape.

• Suitable for Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI): IPM3
• Rapid establishment and high vigour
• Creates a dense canopy to protect the oilseed rape plants
• Smaller seeded and easier to drill with oilseed rape than standard buckwheat
• Scavenges phosphates from the soil for future crops
• Suitable for Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI): IPM3
• Sowing rate: c.10kg/ha as a companion crop

Tabor berseem clover is an annual, nitrogen-fixing legume often used in forage or green manures and as a key variety for companion cropping with oilseed rape.

• Suitable for Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI): IPM3
• The only single-cut berseem clover variety - does not regrow after frost kill
• Compatible in seed mixtures with grass and legumes
• Nitrogen fixing legume with rapid growth and establishment
• Sow from spring to early autumn. Not frost tolerant
• Suitable for Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI): IPM3
• Sowing rate: 15kg/ha.

Annual form of ryegrass

• Produces large amounts of biomass in short space of time
• Suitable for silage, hay production, grazing and green manure
• Can be sown from spring through to autumn
• Sowing rate: 15kg per acre

Blend of three Italian Ryegrass varieties

• Includes two diploid and one tetraploid variety
• Up to two years of intensive cutting and high yields
• Responds very quickly to the application of fertiliser
• Suitable for spring or autumn sowing, ideal for anaerobic digestion
• Versatile short term mixture
• Sowing rate: 15kg per acre