So you've planted your winter cover crop...now what? If you planted at the proper time- mid September- you should be seeing some great growth the past few weeks. (If you got a little behind and still have planted yet, there is still time. As long as there is about 3-4 weeks of warm days, cool nights, and adequate moisture, your cover crop has time to germinate and get some growth to avoid a winter kill.)
The Benefits: By choosing to plant a cover crop for grazing, you have done yourself a favor in more ways than one. All of the cover crops (rye, and oats being the most common) are great erosion fighters. They have extensive, soil holding root systems, and establish quickly even in poor, rocky, or wet soils. The dense yet shallow root systems act as soil builders, improving water infiltration. The rapid aboveground growth helps supply organic matter. There is usually little weed pressure until spring, but if you planted properly, the stand density will shade out most of your weeds and prevent seeds from germinating. You have also provided a cheap and efficient source of winter feeding, which is way more convenient and economical than feeding hay.
What to Expect: No matter what cover crop you chose most of them will behave about the same throughout the cool season. These crops love warm days and cool nights, with just the right amount of rain. If you plant early enough, you might be able to graze it before the first frost. However, during the coldest weeks between January and February 15, there will be little growth. Grazing should be reduced during this time to allow the stand to survive. By mid-March, the weather should be optimal for great growth and any animal grazing should be quite satisfied.
Maintenance: Avoid overgrazing or mowing cover crops closer than 3 to 4 inches. For average phosphorus and potassium conditions (based on soil test), apply 500-600 pounds of 10-10-10 at planting. On sandy soils make additional applications of 60-80 pounds of nitrogen per acre when plants are 2-3 inches tall in November, and topdress with 50 pounds of nitrogen on or near February 15.
The Disadvantage: The biggest downfall with using a cover crop in established bermudagrass pastures, hayfields, or sprayfields, is timing. Around the middle of March to the middle of April, your cover crop is growing like crazy. The animals grazing on it will probably be standing knee-high in the most beautiful green grass. However, your bermudagrass, lying dormant beneath all this action, is waiting for it's chance to shine. In early April, bermudagrass needs constant sunshine in order to green up and get ready for the warm summer season, when many farmers depend on it the most. If your cover crop is still on top of it, you are going to deny it the energy it needs to thrive. This is where you have to make a crucial decision. Ideally, you would need to kill the cover crop (or at least mow it very close to the ground), in order to provide the bermuda the sunlight it needs to grow. It seems against the laws of mother nature to destroy the beautiful spring growth of a cover crop, so you have to decide which is more important. A stand of bermudagrass with a cover crop that lasts later into the spring will greatly reduce the first cutting of summer hay.
Cover crops are beneficial to all aspects of the farm- including the soil and the grazing animals. So bundle up, sit back, and dream about spring!
