Cover Crop Trials

Watch a walk-through of three cover crop trials from Ohio and South Carolina. These videos showcase the performance of a variety of cover crop species.

Ohio State University Cover Crop Trials

South Charleston, OH - April 2018

Watch this video with the May 2018 video and take note a couple of key observations: First of all, even by mid-April, some cover crop species are still just waking up, and unless the full month of April and at least part of May are available for them to stay in the ground, their contribution may not be fully reached. Second, there are marked differences in weed control, with the radish being a powerful ally in weed suppression, especially when early planting is also vital.

Ohio State University Cover Crop Trials

South Charleston, OH - May 2018

Watch this video with the April 2018 video and take note a couple of key observations: First of all, even by mid-April, some cover crop species are still just waking up, and unless the full month of April and at least part of May are available for them to stay in the ground, their contribution may not be fully reached. Second, there are marked differences in weed control, with the radish being a powerful ally in weed suppression, especially when early planting is also vital.

Clemson University Cover Crop Field Day

Clemson, SC - April 2018

When this video is watched in tandem with the Ohio State videos of April and May 2018, one can clearly appreciate that location makes a difference. South Carolina soils are warmer later in the year and warm up earlier in the year. Winter are shorter and less harsh. Winter active varieties and species thrive.

Trial Observations

Ohio State University Trials

First, by mid-April, some cover crop species are still waking up. For these species, unless April and at least part of May are available for them to stay in the ground, their contribution could be limited.

Second, there are marked differences in weed control. For example, the radish provided excellent weed suppression, compared to some other species, making it a powerful ally when early planting is vital.

Clemson University Trials

We observed that location makes a difference. South Carolina soils are warmer later in the year and warm up earlier in the year. Winters are shorter and less harsh. In this type of location, winter active varieties and species thrive.