Agrii specialists in conversation on farm

Our expertise is deep and varied because we built Agrii by combining specialised companies over the last 30 years

Let's find out more about how Agrii helps with more about sustainable farming and the production of safe, affordable and healthy food

Drilling the following Crop

To maximise the benefit of the cover crop within the farm rotation, the following areas need to be considered before establishing the following crop.

  • TARGET DRILLING DATE
    Have a target drilling date on which to base your planning and operations.
  • DESTRUCTION OF COVER CROP
    If the cover crop has not been destroyed by frost or grazed, you will need to consider the soil type and density of the cover to determine when to spray off the cover in order to allow time for the soil surface to dry to aid drilling. This could be up to 8 weeks on heavy soils with a dense cover crop.

  • PESTS
    Assess the slug pest pressure before crop establishment, treat if necessary.

  • CROP NUTRITION
    The nutrient requirement of the following crop may differ to normal practice in respect to application timing and amount used depending on the cover crop species within the mix.

    The C:N ratio of a particular mix will determine the time it will take and how much nitrogen will be required from the soil N reserve to decompose the cover crop residue and release nutrients to the following crop. This is because the soil micro-organisms require a C:N ratio of 24:1 to work efficiently and maintain a healthy balanced soil.

    Cover crop residues with a higher C:N ratio will require more N from the soil and therefore less is initially available to the following crop, inhibiting growth.

    Low C:N ratio residues including N fixing species will release excess N quickly boosting early crop growth and reducing the overall N requirement.

    The target is to maintain a crop residue covering the soil surface with a C:N ratio of between 25 and 30 to help maintain a healthy living soil that will release nutrients at a uniform rate
  • DRILLING
    Whichever type of drill you use to establish the next crop, the aim is to move only the minimum amount of soil required to create good seed to soil contact.

    Excessive soil movement will stimulate unwanted weed germination and undo some of the benefits gained from the cover crop.
Agrii Card Find expert

Approach Us

We’re here to help your business ambitions. See how we could work together, we’d love to hear from you.

Let's Talk
Agrii Card Seeds

Seeds

The highest quality seed offerings, formulated from a science based, sustainable production

Agrii Seeds
Agrii Advisor Ollie

Agronomy

We are the UK’s leading agronomy company, with more than 300 BASIS-trained consultants offering independent advice

Learn More
Agrii Throws Farm Trial Plots from above

Research & Development

Learn about our latest research & development so you can feel confident about todays farming challenges.

Discover
Agrii Card Crop Marketing

Crop Marketing

Making the right selling decisions at the right time is essential for every grower

Maximise Margins