Cover Crops for Weed Management: Termination Fact Sheet

Terminating, or killing, cover crops using the right methods in the right time frame is important to ensure maximum cash crop yield. Excessive competition from the cover crops can hinder early growth of cash crops and increase risk of yield reduction.
Cover crops can be terminated before or after cash crop planting, depending on crop rotation and grower preference.
Cover crop species, growth stage, weather and cover cropping goals should all be considered when planning a termination method and timing. These decisions require a balance between growing the cover long enough to maximize benefits and terminating in time to avoid negatively affecting the following cash crop.