Each week, we’ve been spotlighting a new cover crop species, giving you valuable tips on how to grow them successfully, and exploring the specific benefits and challenges they present. This week’s feature is Cowpeas! Cover crops provide a range of advantages for your soil and operation, but understanding the strengths of each variety is key to getting the most out of them.
Planting Details:
Should be planted when air and soil temperatures are above 65, between the beginning of June and end of August.
Seeding rates will vary greatly based on intended use and seeding method.
Minimum seeding rate should be 30 lbs/acre.
Great to plant after early harvested crops with livestock
About Cowpeas:
Annual legume that originated in Africa Also commonly known as black eyed peas.
Nutritious in a human diet but often used as livestock feed throughout the Upper Midwest.
High-yield forage, comparable to alfalfa in digestibility, but trypsin inhibitors limit the utilization of protein.
Benefits:
Reduce Compaction, Provide Nutrients: The taproot of legumes can help reduce the impact of compaction and can also provide nutrients to the soil.
Forage & Weed Control: Produces high volumes of forage for livestock, comparable to alfalfa in digestibility; large biomass helps shade out unwanted weeds.
Nitrogen: Cowpeas will fix an average of 130 lbs of nitrogen per acre and upwards of 300 lbs/acre.
Interested in learning more about how to get started? Contact our Environmental Services team at [email protected].