Building Soil Health with Cover Crops ™

A Dense Root System and a Uniform Stand Provide Easier Control

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Buckshot Annual Ryegrass™ is an annual ryegrass screened and selected for cover crop use because of its winter-hardiness and dense rooting depth. 

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With seed certification providing assurance of seed purity, using Buckshot Annual Ryegrass™ will make it easier for you to kill because it is a single variety which provides uniform growth. Because of its later maturity, you typically will have an extra 1 1/2 weeks to terminate it in the spring, when compared with cereal rye. 

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Buckshot Annual Ryegrass™ is Excellent For:

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• Accumulating and holding nutrients through the fall and spring

• Provides a uniform stand maturity for easier spring control

• Dense rooting network for compaction relief

• May help in managing soybean cyst nematode

• Slower to mature than cereal rye

• Variety screened and selected for cover crop use

• Superior winter-hardiness when compared with other annual ryegrass varieties

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Buckshot Annual Ryegrass™ has a dense network of fibrous roots that provide better soil to root contact, to take up more nutrients and break up compaction which leads to better soil aeration.

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Buckshot Annual Ryegrass™ will often overwinter in many areas, which provides for a longer period of nutrient uptake and later release of retained nutrients. When planted early enough, there has been some evidence that soybean cyst nematode egg counts may be decreased. The mechanism for this is not well understood and more research is needed.

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FORAGE POTENTIAL

Because it overwinters, Buckshot Annual Ryegrass™  offers the opportunity for spring grazing or to be harvested as a silage crop. Remember that when using it as a forage, nutrients taken up by the cover crop will be removed from the field and fertilizer adjustments will be needed for the subsequent crop.

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Planting and Control Guide

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Planting: Plant 3-10 weeks prior to first freeze.

Seeding Depth: 3/8 - 0.5" Comparable seed on drill chart is Tall Fescue (reduce by 20%), Crested Wheat Grass (reduce by 10%), Annual Ryegrass.

Seeding Rate:

• Drilling (7.5" rows): 12 lbs. per acre

• Broadcast / Aerial: 15-18 lbs. per acre

• Precision Planting (15" with 1.5" in-row spacing): 10 lbs. per acre
  (Kinze Brush Meter with Backing Plate - 60 Cell Milo Plate (Red) set to 275K Pop)

• For Forage: Increase drilling rate to 25-30 lbs. per acre

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Control: CONTROL IS BEST WHEN THE PLANT IS IN ACTIVE GROWETH MODE

(HIGH TRANSLOCATION).

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Key trigger points to consider when controlling with glyphosate:

1. Top Growth should be more than 7 inches, actively growing

2. Sunlight – the more the better

3. Soil Temperatures – above 45° F

4. Air Temperatures – above 60° F

5. Moisture – growing conditions should be good

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If night temperatures go below 38 degrees wait three days before spraying.

This is due to a protection mechanism by the plant to prevent freezing tissue.

• Spray at least 4-5 hours prior to sunset to allow translocation time.

• If a second pass is needed, there needs to be new regrowth to spray after the first control application. The regrowth and retillering will allow for more herbicide to get to the roots for final control. Timing will depend on what herbicide is used and the temperature.

 

Buckshot Annual Ryegrass™ requires increased management. For detailed instructions, please contact us for more info on how to control Annual Ryegrass.