Trial Report Summary

Cover Crop Species Evaluation

Centre(s):
PCDF
Year(s):
2020
Collaborators(s):

PCDF

Objective(s):

To identify the biomass and nutritional contributions of cover crop species to a pea-oat mixture

Project Findings:

The trial results show that including more cover crop species in a mixture did not significantly affect
overall biomass yield for silage or hay. However, feed test values indicate that including leafy cover crop
species (especially the blend of millet, Italian ryegrass, Persian clover, chicory, turnip, feed beet,
common vetch and phacelia) increases the percentage of total digestible nutrients (%TDN). The
increased %TDN is likely the result of the higher proportion of tender, leafy material in the mixture.
Including cover crops in a mixture may be useful for producers targeting a high-quality feed ration.
However, the overall cost of seed per acre is higher for mixtures including cover crops as compared to
the pea-oat only treatment.
An area for further research arising from this study is to look at the potential for establishing cover crops
in-season that will provide producers with good grazing or forage opportunities in the following year.
For example, chicory does not produce large amounts of biomass in the establishment year, but can be
an excellent crop for livestock in future years. The advantages in subsequent years might justify the
higher seeding costs in the establishment years.

Background:

The use of cover crops is gaining popularity among Manitoba farmers. The Manitoba Agriculture and
Resource Development (ARD) website provides information on the many benefits to growing cover
crops. Previous research at PCDF has examined the benefits of growing a green manure mixture that
included cover crops for use with livestock grazing (see “The Effect of Grazing and Non-grazing of Annual
Green Manures on Following Crops – Year 2”). A question arising from that research is how specific
cover crop species contribute to the green manure mixture, both in terms of biomass and nutritional
properties. This trial examined the biomass and nutritional contributions of different cover crop species
to a pea-oat mixture. Biomass yield was taken from each plot, and a composite sample for each
treatment was submitted for a feed test. Additionally, pea-oat grain yield was calculated for each plot.

PDF:

Entire findings are available by downloading the report PDF.

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