Who's got a nice (Northern) mixed crop idea?

[Rydero]

It's getting to be seed buying time. I've got a couple hundred acres I zero tilled into sod either grain or cover crop mixes last year. About half I've got the option to graze(and did last year). I made greenfeed and combined the rest.

I need at least a 3 species mix to get some government $$ for seed as "cover crops". I had some haymaker oats I was impressed with last year. I'd like the option to cut, dry and bale. I was thinking haymaker oats, hairy vetch and sorghum (had a ton of grasshoppers last year and they didn't touch the sorghum). I'm not sure if as a general rule it's a good plan to seed oats with sorghum because if I get a good catch of oats it should get out way ahead of it - but grasshopper insurance is a nice feature. Maybe someone has a way better idea..

 

[Allenw]

The sorghum needs warmer soil temperatures to grow then the oats and vetch, some field peas could be added for a third element in the mix. I'm looking at doing somethin similar this fall trying to time planting some sorghum late enough this fall that I can add some cool season crops and still get good growth from the sorghum before it freezes.

 

[Silver]

Around here for a 3 way mix a lot of guys do oats, barley and peas. But I don't think you'd have much luck drying it down, they all make silage out of it.

 

[Lbass]

Corn, grows at a soil temp 5 degrees colder than Sorghum, Sorghum Sudan. Single cut, like the oats. When the oats are ready for hay, I believe the corn wouldnt be unmanageable. And if you buy just whole feed corn... A shocking amount will germinate. Good value per investment.

I would give annual ryegrass a serious look in your time frame. Ryegrass and vetch are like peas and carrots. Early growth, good yield, excellent response to N. Checks a lot of the boxes people want when they look at covers: compaction being a big one. Can be a pest in crops, but if you are cropping, i'm sure you knew that.

I'ld also look for bin run oats...

 

[Rydero]

The sorghum needs warmer soil temperatures to grow then the oats and vetch, some field peas could be added for a third element in the mix. I'm looking at doing somethin similar this fall trying to time planting some sorghum late enough this fall that I can add some cool season crops and still get good growth from the sorghum before it freezes.

Around here for a 3 way mix a lot of guys do oats, barley and peas. But I don't think you'd have much luck drying it down, they all make silage out of it.

Peas are a great option to mix in with the grain but they really mess with the ability to dry it down. I have done it successfully before but it was a situation where I got some good weather and I could wait for it to dry and then wait a few more days.

I had sorghum in a few spots last year (seeded in early June) and it germinated well everywhere. The one field would've been absolutely nothing without it since the grasshoppers decimated everything else. It was quite noticeable in one field that grew well but that one was grazed a few times at 6" before I let it really grow up. I'm not sure if it was beginners luck/other things conspiring to suppress competition for it or what because knowing that it's warm season you wouldn't think it'd do well paired with oats seeded relatively early but it seemed to do just that.

 

[Rydero]

Corn, grows at a soil temp 5 degrees colder than Sorghum, Sorghum Sudan. Single cut, like the oats. When the oats are ready for hay, I believe the corn wouldnt be unmanageable. And if you buy just whole feed corn... A shocking amount will germinate. Good value per investment.

I would give annual ryegrass a serious look in your time frame. Ryegrass and vetch are like peas and carrots. Early growth, good yield, excellent response to N. Checks a lot of the boxes people want when they look at covers: compaction being a big one. Can be a pest in crops, but if you are cropping, i'm sure you knew that.

I'ld also look for bin run oats...

We're going to try some corn, vetch and idk what else yet at my bosses place but we're thinking we'll seed the rest after the corn is up already.

I keep trying to get ryegrass going and it hasn't amounted to much yet but maybe a mix of oats, ryegrass and vetch is a possibility.