Synchronizing rye and vetch for termination
Channel: Cornell Cover Crops
Date: 2023-05-10

Rye and vetch make a great cover crop mixture for getting a lot of organic matter and organic nitrogen. The challenge in New York is that the generic (VNS) versions of these crops are ready to terminate about May 28, where it would be nice to get our crops in starting May 20. Purple Bounty vetch is a 7-10 days earlier to flower (termination maturity) than the VNS, so it is rather attractive for this use. The key is to find a rye partner that will also be fully susceptible to the termination method (mowing or roller-crimping). That maturity is when the most mature heads are at anthesis and the least mature are in boot. 
Last fall we planted Purple Bounty with six rye varieties to see which ones will be ready to terminate when the vetch is. This video is taken May 10,  ten days before the anticipated termination date.
Update: Termination is in early June. Here is a look at the varieties before roller crimping:
https://youtu.be/Jc6OJQgK9QI

Gates West organic research farm, Cornell AgriTech campus, Geneva NY. 
Mostly Lima silt loam 2% slope.

The Cornell fact sheet: https://covercrop.org/cover-crop-information/hairy-vetch/