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Research shows farmers can lower cereal rye seeding rates and save money

A commercial agriculture educator with the University of Illinois Extension says farmers utilizing cereal rye cover crops can potentially save money by lowering their seeding rates.

Nathan Johanning says new research done in conjunction with the Illinois Soybean Association shows timely planting is key.

“Some of our earliest plantings, which is around early October, we found that even 30 pounds of cereal rye would give us almost just as much above-ground tonnage as what we could get from some of the higher seeding rates.”  He says, “So, the plants can sometimes compensate”

He tells Brownfield, “Cereal rye isn’t extremely expensive, but on a per acre basis on a large scale, if you could cut your seeding rate from 60 pounds to 30 pounds, that’s a significant savings.”

He says lower rates are also advantageous for aerial seeding into standing crops.

“Run a little lower seeding rate, maybe get in earlier with an over-the-top pre-harvest application with the drone, so we can get more acres out of that drone payload,” he says.

Johanning says no matter the rates, cover crop stand establishment is weather dependent, and the recent dry harvest seasons have been a challenge for producers.

AUDIO: Nathan Johanning – U of I Extension