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Lancaster, OH | Here in Fairfield County, OH, we found at 90-100# of N "benefit" from Austrian winter peas or Hairy vetch. We planted them and other covers across a field and planted corn perpendicular following that with side dress applications a different rates. It appeared that after about 100# of applied N, we saw no more benefit from additional N. This trial was not repeated in other years nor replicated in a random fashion. I'd call it nearly as much qualitative as quantitative. It has been shown here in following years that we could cut back the applied N by 50-100# and not suffer yield losses. This same result was found with RRSB that were very late for us and not harvested.
There is still time to plant vetch or peas. Here we use peas in wetter soils that need more warmth and spring drying and vetch on soils that are lighter and more well drained. Vetch is not for the faint of heart. Planting will be 1-2 weeks later planting than other fields without vetch.
At $0.18/# N we were at a break even with soil benefits. Today, it's a bigger win. We're thinking of mixing Vetch with other covers. I question the efficacy as we are trying to grow two crops at once which seldom works out. | |
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how much nitrigen can u get from cover crop
