However, the amount of dry matter produced depends on how long they grow before being killed or winter-killed, and if the soil is dry, whether or not they are irrigated. N content is low, in the range of 1 to 2 percent of dry matter. N ratio, very little or none of the N is available to subsequent crops. No information Mowing tolerance High Dry matter accumulation May be very high but depends on kill date N accumulation May be high but depends on kill date N to following crop Very little or none Uses Use as summer annual cover crop to suppress weeds and improve soil tilth. May be planted in late summer and allowed to winter-kill.
Cautions Needs hot weather to grow.
Large amounts of dry matter require a long time to decompose sufficiently before planting subsequent crop. Best stand establishment is obtained by drilling seed to a depth of approximately 1 inch in a smooth, well-prepared seedbed. Although row spacing generally does not affect yield, narrow rows are better for cover cropping purposes. Dry matter accumulation is very sensitive to planting date. But if they are planted in early September without irrigation they will grow to only 2 feet tall, and if planted in late September they will grow to only 6 inches tall before they winter-kill.