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South Central MN | So far any winter rye I have seen seeded towards early summer makes it through till the following spring here, so doesn't die off in the summer. Yes we do get 90F+ days here, so not heat related if it dies. Takes a fair amount of shade to kill it too.
Also see winter rye regrow after being cut for baleage in early June, but suspect most of the growth was from late popping tillers. It is a very tough plant actually, very weed like. Supposedly it originated as a weed in wheat and was eventually domesticated itself this way.
I have not had velvetleaf wrap up in a combine, but it sure does make a lot of shade over whatever crop is growing in the field at the time. A lot of weeds we fight could have agricultural uses really, amaranths were grown for grain in the past, some others make good covers if you terminate them at the proper time...
One place where I could see a benefit to the rye seeded in spring would be high PH spots AKA IDC ground with soybeans, as they will often die or nearly die in hot spots. Supposedly soaking up the nitrates/nitrites helps the soybeans but not sure if the economics works out currently. Should help smother weeds though. | |
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Cereal Rye planted in the spring
