The Ultimate Spring Trio - Oats, Peas & Barley
Written by Kate Smith |
|
It may not feel like spring outside, but rest assured it’s on its way! While it’s still chilly, now is the perfect time to do some planning for the upcoming growing season. If you have livestock that means planning for forage during the year. If you’re growing crops that might mean fine tuning your fertility program or finding new ways to implement cover crops.
No matter what your situation is, spring cover crops can play a role in your success whether feeding livestock, controlling erosion, suppressing weeds, or all of the above. A few species consistently make it to the top of our spring favorites list, namely oats, peas, and barley. Each species has its own merits as to why we recommend these staples year after year.
|
|
Davis Behle's spin on a Spring Trio Blend with Oats, Peas, Barley, Collards, Clover and a little Phacelia. |
|
Oats
Spring oats are known as one of the fastest growing crops and are commonly used as a nurse crop for a variety of different purposes. Oats also provide great yield potential in terms of tonnage. Paired with the nutritional quality of the peas and barley, this makes for an excellent trio. Additionally, oats host mycorrhizal fungi in the soil, giving plants improved access to water and key nutrients needed to resist pests and disease.
Peas
As nitrogen fixers, spring peas increase the level of nitrogen in the soil while also accumulating high levels of it within the plant. This makes them a protein-rich feed option for cattle and other livestock. This legume is also among the fastest growing spring plants, which complements oats nicely. Peas are commonly used in grazing and haying mixes or even as green manure.
Barley
Barley, though not the highest yielding spring crop, offers extremely high quality forage. Beardless barley can be used to add diversity to a mix and provide high quality forage without the bearded trait which can cause irritation to livestock. Barley is also very tolerant of high pH or salty soils, making it a good option for growers with those conditions. In addition to making a great grazing or hay crop, barley can also be harvested as a grain for livestock feed.
Mix 'em together!
The Spring Trio mix is an excellent choice as is and makes a great base for a custom mix. Last year, Davis Behle designed his own spin on the Spring Trio mix to use on his farm to feed livestock. The photo above shows the standard oats, peas, and barley mix with collards, clover and a little phacelia added for some additional spring blooms. Reach out to our team if you're interested in a custom cover crop mix designed specifically to meet your spring goals!
Another great option is to opt for a pre-made mix, available for browsing and purchase directly through our website. Our lineup of pre-made mixes is expertly crafted with specific goals like annual grazing or soil building in mind, aiming for diversity and functionality in every mix. Back by popular demand, our Spring Trio mix is a combination of oats, peas, and barley for the perfect spring forage blend. Check out our store to see what mix could fit your situation.
|
|
Looking for your next opportunity? Green Cover is hiring! We are looking for passionate individuals to join our teams in Bladen, Nebraska or Iola, Kansas!
Order Fulfillment Specialist - Bladen, NE
Seed Handling Specialist - Bladen, NE
General Ag Internship - Bladen, NE
Truck Driver (Part Time) - Bladen, NE
Order Fulfillment Specialist - Iola, KS
Order Fulfillment Specialist (Part Time) - Iola, KS
Benefits include 401k, Health Insurance, PTO & Flexible Scheduling! Come join our team and do the meaningful work of helping producers regenerate their soils for future generations! Visit our website to fill out and submit an application and be sure to share these opportunities with anyone who might be a good fit! |
|
New Native Perennial Seed Mix in Stock!
Our Osage Tallgrass Native Perennial mix is the perfect blend of warm season native tallgrass species. Mimicked after the native Osage tallgrass prairie in eastern Kansas, this mix is designed to be an easily established native grass mix that creates an ideal habitat for wildlife and can even be grazed by livestock.
This blend includes Little and Big Bluestem, Indiangrass and RC Big Rock Switchgrass. RC Big Rock is a particularly fast establishing and quick growing switchgrass. These tallgrass species are native to the eastern Great Plains and all of the eastern US. We've also added oats as a nurse crop to help prepare the soil for the native perennials. |
|
Download the 11th Soil Health Resource Guide!
It's finally here! The newest Soil Health Resource Guide is out and ready for free download! This guide is jammed packed full of valuable information for any producer interested in learning more about regenerative agricultural practices to improve soil health. |
|
Holistic Approach Pays California Walnut Grower Big Dividends in Chemical Savings
When California walnut grower, Daniel Unruh, noticed his trees were suffering in 2011, he began researching methods of rebalancing the high population of nematodes found in his soil. Unruh found that by planting a mustard cover crop, terminating it and tilling it in he could reduce the nematode population by 40% in his soils.
You can read Allen Unruh's full story written by Kevin Loria on NationalNutGrower.com
|
|
Farmer Bob Jones in the News!
Bob Jones is one of several generations of farmers behind The Chef's Garden, a diverse and regenerative farm providing beautiful and nutritious vegetables to home cooks nationwide. Bob takes on an always growing mindset when it comes to challenges on the farm. He is open to learning from others who have successfully implemented regenerative practices in challenges circumstances and sees this as the way for the farm to grow.
You can read more about The Chef's Garden in this article written by Carol Miller.
|
|
Eastern Nebraska Soil Health Conference
February 11th | West Point, Nebraska
Come out and see the Green Cover team at this one day soil health conference.
This year's conference will explore four critical areas of sustainable agriculture: carbon stocks, crop-livestock integration, nitrogen management, and cover crop resources. Participants will dive into innovative strategies for enhancing soil health, including increasing carbon sequestration, improving nutrient cycling, optimizing nitrogen application, and implementing effective cover crop systems. Join us to gain cutting-edge insights from leading experts and discover practical approaches to advancing agricultural sustainability.
|
|
|
|
|
