Unless a producer is in a one-year rotation, the use of a cover crop is essential for minimizing soil erosion and for maintaining organic matter in the soil. Many, if not all farm plans developed by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, have a cover crop component. Below is a brief description of common cover crops. Rye Rye is probably used as a winter cover more than any other small grain. This makes rye a top choice for tobacco growers who have little time in the fall to sow a cover before winter.
Rye provides the most biomass to turn under in early spring.
It also provides forage for grazing animals and straw if harvested before mature seeds are formed or after rye seed harvest. Barley Barley provides an excellent source of biomass to be managed in the spring. It does not grow as tall as regular rye, but will tiller and may produce as much straw, forage, or plowdown as rye. Even though barley eventually produces the equivalent biomass of rye, it does so later in the spring. Also, the possibility of winter kill is greater with barley.