Rye Most Often Grown Cover Crop

Mar 19, 2021

Cover crops are becoming increasingly important as a component of sustainable agriculture production.

“Properly managed cover crops can reduce soil losses from wind and water erosion, reduce nitrogen losses, utilize excessive soil moisture, promote biodiversity, suppress weeds, improve soil structure and improve trafficability of fields,” says Hans Kandel, North Dakota State University Extension agronomist.

In temperate regions of the world, rye is the most frequently grown cover crop, either as a sole crop or as a component of a cover crop mix. Rye, sometime referred to as cereal rye, is a cereal crop. When grown to maturity, the grain is used in breads, crackers and brewing, and as an animal feed.

As a cover crop, rye is particularly useful because it establishes quickly under a wide range of conditions and is a winter annual that has the potential to provide green cover in the fall and the spring prior to the planting of a spring-sown crop. Sometimes, however, a cover crop of rye can reduce the yield of a following cash crop if not properly managed.

“This, along with the fact that growing a rye cover crop is a new practice for most farmers in North Dakota, are reasons why NDSU Extension recently published a comprehensive guide on managing rye as a cover crop,” says Joel Ransom, Extension agronomist emeritus and one of the primary authors of the new publication.

This publication, titled “Growing Rye as a Cover Crop” (NDSU publication A2010), addresses questions that farmers might have on where to include rye in their cropping system and how to manage it for optimum benefit.

“This is one of the most comprehensive guides on growing rye available,” notes Kandel, one of the publication’s authors.

“The information is particularly useful to North Dakota farmers as it draws on the results of recent research conducted in the state,” says Greg Endres, NDSU Extension cropping systems specialist and a co-author of the publication.

Source : ndsu.edu

Video: From Conventional to Regenerative: Will Groeneveld’s Journey Back to the Land

"You realize you've got a pretty finite number of years to do this. If you ever want to try something new, you better do it."

That mindset helped Will Groeneveld take a bold turn on his Alberta grain farm. A lifelong farmer, Will had never heard of regenerative agriculture until 2018, when he attended a seminar by Kevin Elmy that shifted his worldview. What began as curiosity quickly turned into a deep exploration of how biology—not just chemistry—shapes the health of our soils, crops and ecosystems.

In this video, Will candidly reflects on his family’s farming history, how the operation evolved from a traditional mixed farm to grain-only, and how the desire to improve the land pushed him to invite livestock back into the rotation—without owning a single cow.

Today, through creative partnerships and a commitment to the five principles of regenerative agriculture, Will is reintroducing diversity, building soil health and extending living roots in the ground for as much of the year as possible. Whether it’s through intercropping, zero tillage (which he’s practiced since the 1980s) or managing forage for visiting cattle, Will’s approach is a testament to continuous learning and a willingness to challenge old norms.

Will is a participant in the Regenerative Agriculture Lab (RAL), a social innovation process bringing together producers, researchers, retailers and others to co-create a resilient regenerative agriculture system in Alberta. His story highlights both the potential and humility required to farm with nature, not against it.