I appreciate the spring rains---- but, again this year, for us the rains were often untimely, so weeds are going to....most likely..... plague the yields this fall.

So.......I am looking for ways to tighten up....... and it's cover crops' turn.

Our pattern this fall will be to.......harvest soy, harvest corn, apply slurry.......so time to sow/drill cover crops will be...........late November most likely.

In the spring.........ground going to corn will be blackened by disk first time at about April 15....so the weed flushes can start growing........and cover crop starts to rot.......and planting corn about May 10-15. 

Ground going to soy will be blackened about May 10-15.........so weeds can start.......with planting at about mid June.

1.  Would winter wheat function nearly as well as cereal rye on ground going to corn?

I am assuming I can get bin run wheat for less money than cereal rye, although I have not starting checking prices/availability.

I know zip about wheat.....I am thinking that it could be sown this fall given the time tables, like rye...........am I correct?

I realize it would not be a big yielder.........but its a cover crop.......and whether rye or wheat, it would not have a lot of time to grow........but I do need it to grow.

I know that we could plant rye the first week in December, and have a bunch in the spring-------- 'cause we have done that.

2.  Would cereal rye that is combined before fully drying down on the stalk be able to be dried with fans, enough so it could be used as seed for cover crops?

We have never let cereal rye get past the boot/heading stage before terminating it, so I am not knowledgeable as to whether or not combining it a little early would kill its capacity to germinate.

I am thinking that on ground going to soy, we might be able to plant cereal rye a little thicker, and combine it for cover crop seed before planting to soy.

3.  Does the date cereal rye is planted in the fall affect the date it matures the next year?

We have a couple of fields where we can plant the cereal rye within a few weeks as a cover crop.

Would planting at, say, mid-August result in the grain maturing earlier next year?  Or is the maturity date linked to the date the rye starts growing next spring?

4.  Anyone know the approximate price for buying bulk bin-run winter wheat for cover crop seed?

Thanks.