Theresa Pedretti, Cover Crop Sales Agronomist

Looking for a new underseeding option? Check out our Corn Builder CC12 cover crop mix:

Product Details

• Designed for seeding with spring-seeded small grains
• Three-way legume mix has excellent N-fixing potential
• Offers late summer potential for hay harvest
• Fits well into a corn, soybean, small grain rotation

This legume plow down mixture is composed of Nitrogen brand, non-dormant alfalfa, medium red clover and berseem clover. These cool-season legumes establish best under the cool, wet weather conditions of spring. Nitrogen Brand alfalfa has a fall dormancy of 9 and will winterkill in the Upper Midwest. This differs from standard, much hardier alfalfa, but makes the mix easier to terminate. Non-dormant alfalfa also keeps growing late into the fall, lessening its ability to survive winter, but adding more biomass to the system. Medium red clover included in the mix doesn’t dry down quickly for hay. The alfalfa and berseem clover added to the mix improve hay drying rate.

Management tips

• Don’t delay small grain harvest, as alfalfa and berseem will continue to grow into the plant canopy
• Terminate with burn down herbicide application in spring or fall, or organically with tillage
• Alfalfa and berseem will winterkill in the Upper Midwest, leaving just the red clover to terminate in the spring
• Not suited for frost seeding into winter wheat or rye; berseem clover not tolerant of early-season frosts
• Potential for cutting of hay and good regrowth for N fixation if under-seeded with an early oat like Reins or Sumo
• Taking a cutting of hay reduces overall nitrogen credit for the following crop