No two cover crops are alike, and some cover crops provide more benefit based on the area they are planted in. Sun-exposure, soil moisture, temperature, nutrient levels, and the growth window play a role in the selection of a cover crop for a particular field site. Because of the complexities that are involved with choosing a cover crop, Ozaukee County has partnered with the On-Farm Cover Crop Interseeding Study to help farmers with these decisions. Throughout the 2020 summer months, three farms across the county will be interseeded with several different cover crop seed mixtures: a Winter-season mix, Summer-season mix, and two other Ozaukee County-custom mixes. The idea is to interseed two strips for each of these mixes into crop fields; additionally, the interseeding will be done at varying times throughout the growing season so that cash crops will be at various growth-stages (V3 and V7). Doing this will help both the scientists and farmers see the significance between the different seed mixes based on the factors listed above. 

These strips will be evaluated in the fall of 2020 and spring of 2021 on their ability to grow, combat weeds, and withstand the winter elements. The strips will also be observed to identify the survival rate of each species within the seed mixtures and their overall success as a cover crop based on the conditions of the field they were planted in. The findings of this study will help farmers and scientists become more efficient in their understanding of what cover crop seed mixes they may want to create and establish given their site-specific conditions.

The four mixes which were replicated twice on each participating farm are as follows:

Summer Mix 25#/ac. 

Iron and Clay Cowpea 40%, Annual Rye grass 32%, Buckwheat 20%, Tapmaster Daikon Radish 8%

Winter Mix 19#/ac.

Annual Ryegrass 42%, Hairy Vetch 26%, Kale 21%, Medium Red Clover 11%

Ozaukee #1 Mix 16#/ac.

Annual Rye Grass 61%, Medium Red Clover 33%,  Dwarf Essex Rapeseed 3%, Kale 3%

Ozaukee #2 Mix 16#/ac.

Annual Rye Grass 60%, Medium Red Clover 18%, Hairy Vetch 16%, Dwarf Essex Rapeseed 3%, Kale 3%

Below is a pictorial of each farm with appropriate information collected in the field which includes dates of field planted, date of interseeding, height of corn during interseeding and weekly height checks and the height and ground cover density of the cover crop throughout the growing season up until harvest.