SC100 General Crops Class Notes , J.R. Fenwick, pg. Rye grows best on poor, infertile, sandy soils than other cereals. It is a shorter growing season with a lower yield potential. Rye has an extensive root system. It has a shorter growing season with lower yield potential than other cereals.
Rye is the most winter hardy of all the cereals.
When harvested as grain is shatters readily. Rye is typically used as a cover crop to prevent wind erosion over the winter. It can be very a very useful feed when grazed, and can be grazed late into the spring. If rye is worked up, it is considered a green manure crop, which adds available nitrogen to the soil. When harvested, rye can also be used as an ingredient in bread and whiskey.