Select the best cover crop species based on your management goals — nitrogen fixation, erosion control, compaction relief, or weed suppression.
Cover crops protect and improve soil between cash crop seasons. Different species excel at different goals: legumes fix nitrogen, grasses produce biomass for erosion control, brassicas break compaction with deep taproots, and vigorous species suppress weeds through fast canopy closure.
This selector tool helps you rank cover crop species based on your primary management objective. Enter your goal, and the tool recommends species suited to that purpose, along with approximate seeding rates and expected benefits. Many farms plant multi-species mixes to address multiple goals simultaneously.
Combine this tool with your frost date and crop rotation planners to integrate cover crops into your operation seamlessly. Whether you are a beginner or experienced professional, this free online tool provides instant, reliable results without manual computation. By automating the calculation, you save time and reduce the risk of costly errors in your planning and decision-making process. This tool handles all the complex arithmetic so you can focus on interpreting results and making informed decisions based on accurate data.
With dozens of cover crop species available, choosing the right one can be overwhelming. This selector narrows the options based on what you want to achieve — whether it's reducing nitrogen fertilizer purchases, preventing erosion, building soil organic matter, or outcompeting weeds. Having a precise figure at your fingertips empowers better planning and more confident decisions.
Species Ranking = Goal weight × Species trait score for each goal category Overall Score = Sum of (goal weight × trait score) for top-ranked species
Result: Top picks: Crimson Clover, Hairy Vetch, Austrian Winter Peas
For nitrogen fixation, legume species rank highest. Crimson clover produces 60-150 lbs N/ac, hairy vetch 60-120 lbs N/ac, and Austrian winter peas 40-80 lbs N/ac when terminated at flowering.
Grasses (cereal rye, oats, triticale) produce high biomass, scavenge excess nitrogen, and suppress weeds. Legumes (crimson clover, hairy vetch, peas) fix nitrogen and provide N credit to the following crop. Brassicas (radishes, turnips, rapeseed) break compaction with deep taproots and cycle nutrients from depth.
Mixes capture synergies between species. A common three-way mix is cereal rye + crimson clover + radish, which combines weed suppression, nitrogen fixation, and compaction relief. Mixes also improve biodiversity, support pollinators, and provide more consistent performance across variable field conditions.
Seed cost ranges from $10-$40/ac. Establishment cost adds $5-$15/ac for drilling or aerial application. Benefits include reduced fertilizer cost (N credits), improved yields, reduced erosion, and potential NRCS cost-share payments. The net economic impact is typically positive within 2-3 years of adoption.
Cereal rye is the most versatile and widely adapted cover crop. It establishes quickly in fall, survives winter in most zones, produces excellent biomass for weed suppression, and is easy to terminate in spring.
Legume cover crops can fix 40-200 lbs N/ac depending on species, growth duration, and termination timing. Crimson clover and hairy vetch are among the highest N producers when allowed to reach flowering before termination.
Terminate at least 10-14 days before planting the cash crop. Use herbicide burndown, roller crimping, or tillage depending on your system. Later termination produces more biomass but increases the risk of cash crop interference.
When managed properly (timely termination, adequate planting window), cover crops typically maintain or increase yields through improved soil health, moisture retention, and nitrogen credits. Poorly managed cover crops can tie up moisture or N.
Yes. Many farms graze cover crops, especially multi-species mixes with brassicas and legumes. Managed grazing provides additional revenue while still delivering soil health benefits from the root growth and residual biomass.
Choose fast-establishing species like cereal rye, oats, or radishes that can germinate and grow quickly in cool temperatures. Radishes winterkill and decompose, reducing spring management needs.