BC Forage Council
Serena Black
Barrier:
There is a lack of data on the use and management of cover crops, their impacts on subsequent crop performance, and the economic costs and returns on investment for this practice.
Field Trial description:
Fall-seeded cover crop mixtures will be planted either following annual forage crop harvest or as part of initiating a field rejuvenation cycle in a typical B.C. mixed farming rotation with limited irrigation. The trial will compare a single-species cover (e.g. fall rye), more diverse cover crop mixtures (e.g. fall rye with Austrian winter peas), and a control plot with no cover crop seeding. Cover crop establishment, biomass, soil health, forage quality, and subsequent crop performance will be measured, and an economic analysis will be conducted.