Winter Rye

Product Overview

• The most cold-hardy winter grain (germinating down to 35˚F)
• Can be grazed deep into the fall
• Out-competes weeds
• Produces a lot of forage or green manure in the spring
• Performs better than other winter grains on low fertility and/or droughty soils
• Has excellent feed value as a forage
• Average grain yields range from 35-50 bu/acre
• Economical choice for grain or cover cropping
• Northern origin

Best Use

Cover Crop, Fall/Spring Forage, Grain

Adaptations

All soil types & environments

Planting Date

Sept – Nov 15 (depending on intended use)

Requirements

Winter rye fertilization should be managed to match its intended use.

A cover crop of rye does not require any added N fertilizer, forage rye may require from 40-80 lbs of N, and a high-input crop of hybrid rye could require up to 150 lbs of N depending on: a) previous crop, b) expected yield, and c) soil organic matter.

When growing as a cover crop, terminate winter rye at least 10 days to 2 weeks before planting cash crops in the spring. Planting green into winter rye can also be a viable system in the Midwest with careful termination and nitrogen management in corn.

Seeding

• For Cover Crop: Drill, broadcast, or fly-on 50 – 75 lbs/acre. Time broadcast/aerial seedings with forecasted rains into field corn, sweet corn, or soybeans at beginning of leaf senescence (yellowing) in the fall.
• For Forage/Grain: Drill open-pollinated varieties at 100 lbs/acre 1 to 1 ½” deep. It is possible to get a poor stand from seeding rye too deep.
• For Roll-Down System: Drill 3 million seeds/acre (150-200 lbs/acre). Early, accurate planting in fall is critical for best establishment, tillering, and biomass production in the spring.

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