Planning the Planting of Cover Crops and Cash
Crops Daniel Parson
Parson Produce 404.452.4321
www.parsonproduce.com
Parson Produce
• The Farmhouse B & B is 40 acres • 3.25 acres vegetable and cut flower • Small Apiary • 300 shiitake logs
• Applying for organic certification
Parson Produce Marketing • 75 member Community Supported
Agriculture (CSA) • Restaurants:
– Stella�s Southern Bistro – High Cotton Greenville – American Grocery
• Live Oak Farm Store and Swamp Rabbit Café and Grocery
• TD Saturday Market, Greenville
Why Rotations?
• Required for certified organic • Reduce pest pressure • Reduce weed problems • Improve crop fertility • Reduce crop disease • Include cover crops in production
Certified Organic
�The producer must manage crop nutrients and soil fertility through rotations, cover crops, and the application of plant and animal
materials�
What is a Cover Crop?
A cover crop is grown to support the production of other crops; not for
harvest. Cover crop residue is left on the surface in a no-till system or
incorporated into the soil in a tillage system.
Pest Control
• Biodiversity • Cover crops attract beneficials • Break cycles of infestation
Example: soil-borne nematodes that are plant-family specific
Buckwheat Blooming
Syrphid Flies
Natural Enemy Habitat
Beneficial Insects Assassin Bug
Photos by Debbie Roos http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/chatham/ag/SustAg/index.html
Lacewing Eggs
Syrphid Fly Predatory Stink Bug
Beneficial Insects Big-Eyed Bug Minute Pirate Bug
Newport News Master Gardeners
From University of Nebraska-Lincoln/Photo by Jack Dykinga,
image from the USDA Agricultural Research Service.
Weed Control
• Crop/weed timing • Diverse cultivation methods • Cover crops as smother crops
Example: cultivation of winter squash before vines extend
Weed Management
Crop Fertility
• Certain crops deplete certain nutrients • Some crops make nutrients more
available • Cover crops • Different crop fertilization strategies
Crop Fertility
Example: adding compost to one crop, followed by one that needs well-
decomposed organic matter
Example: straw mulch on tomatoes increases organic matter for
following crop
Fertility Management
Disease Control
• Break the cycle of soil-borne disease • Keep disease from building up • Increase beneficial microorganisms • Pathogens with limited host range • Pathogens without airborne spores
Diseases Poorly Controlled
• Damping off • Verticillium wilt (300+ susceptible) • Anthracnose - beans, cukes, peppers • Fusarium - tomatoes, peas, melons,
dahlias • Root knot nematodes - corn, lettuce,
tomatoes
Disease Management
What is a Good Cover Crop?
• Legumes – Nitrogen fixation (70-200 lb/acre N)
• Grasses – Add biomass (1-5 ton/acre dry) – Conserve nutrients
• Other vigorous growers
How to Plant Cover Crops
• Minimal tillage to clean field and cover – Fine seed on surface – Larger seed sow before final cultivation
• Achieve full coverage • Encourage vigorous germination • Consider following crop
How to Plow in Cover Crops
• Early bloom stage before seed sets • Mow and shred • Allow to dry and shrink • Shallow tillage to incorporate • Wait 4 weeks before direct seeding
Warm Season Legumes • Soybean
– Upright easy to grow • Velvet bean (up to 200#N/acre)
– Climbing vines love heat – Requires cultivation or companion
planting • Cowpea (100-150#N/acre)
– Vigorous vines love heat
Velvet Bean
Warm Season Grasses • Sudan/Sorghum (4-5 tons/acre dry)
– Great biomass – Requires mowing
• Pearl millet – Shorter stature
• Browntop millet – Short season
Sudan/Sorghum
Warm Season Broadleaves
• Buckwheat (1-1.5 ton/acre dry) – Short season – Prolific blooms attract beneficial insects – Cycles Calcium
• Sunflower – Great scaffold for climbers – Possible harvest with non-climbers
Cool Season Legumes
• Crimson Clover (70-130#N/acre) – Rich in N and blooms
• Fava bean – �banner� for N and biomass
• Hairy Vetch (90-200#N/acre) • Austrian Winter Pea
Crimson Clover, Fava Bean and Rye
Hairy Vetch
Austrian Winter Peas
Cool Season Grasses
• Cereal or Grain Rye – Great height – Winter hardiness
• Oats – Early biomass and semi winter-hardy
• Wheat – Smaller stature, hardy
Primary Mixes--Summer
• Buckwheat, Soybean, and Sudan – Early bloom of buckwheat – Mow when soybeans bloom
• Buckwheat alone in sequence
– Short season cover – Constant bloom for insects
Buckwheat, Soybean, Sudan
Primary Mixes--Winter
• Rye and hairy vetch – More biomass formed – Precedes later season crops
• Oats and Crimson Clover – Precedes spring crops – Better N source for short crops
How to Design a Rotation
• Measure and map your fields • Divide into equal-sized ‘rotational
units’ • Group cash crops: family, seasonality • Create rotational plan outline • Fill in with cover crops • Create detailed field plan
How to Design a Rotation
• Measure and map your fields • Divide into equal-sized ‘rotational
units’ • Group cash crops: family, seasonality • Create rotational plan outline • Fill in with cover crops • Create detailed field plan
225
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22
5 Fe
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225
Feet
325 Feet 212 Feet
How to Design a Rotation
• Measure and map your fields • Divide into equal-sized ‘rotational
units’ • Group cash crops: family, seasonality • Create rotational plan outline • Fill in with cover crops • Create detailed field plan
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How to Design a Rotation
• Measure and map your fields • Divide into equal-sized ‘rotational
units’ • Group cash crops: family, seasonality • Create rotational plan outline • Fill in with cover crops • Create detailed field plan
Plant Families • Cucurbitaceae - squash, melons,
cucumbers, lufa, pumpkins, • Solanaceae - tomato, pepper, eggplant,
potato • Convolvulaceae - sweet potato • Malvaceae - okra, cotton • Asteraceae - lettuce, sunflower, endive • Chenopodiaceae - spinach, beet, chard
Plant Families • Brassicaceae - cabbage, broccoli,
cauliflower, collards, kale, brussel sprouts, arugula, boc choi
• Apiaceae - carrot, celery, fennel, cilantro • Fabaceae - snap beans, peas • Lilliaceae - garlic, onion • Poaceae - rye, oats, sudangrass
Timing of Crop
• Planting through harvest • Over-wintering or perennial • Consider double cropping • Cover crops and incorporation
Spring and Fall
• Carrots and Beets • Broccoli • Cabbage, Kohlrabi, Kale • Potatoes (Spring only) • Arugula, Turnips, Lettuce, etc.
Summer
• Beans and Flowers • Peppers and Eggplant • Cucumbers and Squash • Tomatoes • Sweet Potatoes • Okra • Melons
Overwintering
• Garlic • Various Cover Crops
How to Design a Rotation
• Measure and map your fields • Divide into equal-sized ‘rotational
units’ • Group cash crops: family, seasonality • Create rotational plan outline • Fill in with cover crops • Create detailed field plan
Arrange Crops
• Note-card method • Blank grid method: column names
– Field Number – Crops and Cover Crops – Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall
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Field Crop Season
Winter
1 Broccoli Spring
Soybeans/Buckwheat Summer
Carrots and Beets Fall
Rye Aisles Winter
2 Potatoes Spring
Sudex/Soybeans Summer
Garlic Fall
Winter
3 Spring
Late Flowers/Beans Summer
Wheat/Crimson Clover Fall
Winter
4 Spring
Okra Summer
Rye/Hairy Vetch Fall
Winter
5 Spring
Peppers/Eggplant Summer
Oats/Winter Peas Fall
Winter
6 Arugula and Lettuce Spring
Soybeans/Buckwheat Summer
Cabbage and Kale Fall
Rye/Crimson Clover Winter
7 Cucumbers/Squash Spring
Summer
Oats/Winter Peas Fall
Winter
8 Carrots and Beets Spring
Soybeans/Buckwheat Summer
Broccoli Fall
Rye/Clover Winter
9 Sweet Potatoes Spring
Oats and Clover Summer
Fall
Winter
10 Cabbage and Kale Spring
Buckwheat Summer
Arugula and Lettuce Fall
Wheat Aisles and Crimson Clover Winter
11 Spring
Early Flowers and Beans Summer
Rye and Hairy Vetch Fall
Winter
12 Spring
Melons Summer
Rye and Crimson Clover Fall
Winter
13 Tomatoes Spring
Oats and Winter Peas Summer
Fall
Field Rotation Plan 2012
How to Design a Rotation
• Measure and map your fields • Divide into equal-sized ‘rotational
units’ • Group cash crops: family, seasonality • Create rotational plan outline • Fill in with cover crops • Create detailed field plan
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Chioggia Beets
Scarlet Nantes Carrots/ Cherry Belle
Radish Chioggia Beets Leaf Mulch
Lettuce Mix
Scarlet Nantes Carrots/ Cherry Belle
Radish Arugula Roquette Leaf Mulch
Braizing Mix
Scarlet Nantes Carrots/ Cherry Belle
Radish Spring Onions (Failure) Leaf Mulch
Georgia Sweet Onions Red Ace Beets Red Ace Beets Leaf Mulch
Sugar Snap Peas Sugar Snap Peas Sugar Snap Peas Sugar Snap Peas
*All beds 50 feet on 5 foot centers
Tillage
Tillage and bed preparation March,
2004
Planting March, 2004
Harvest April-June, 2004
Fertility
Fertrel 4-2-4 OMRI approved band
applied at 100#N/acre
Field 1 Layout
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Vari
ety
Cro
p
Fie
ld
Date
-Seed
ing
Est
Date
-Seed
ing
Act
ual
Days
SD
to
TD
Date
-Tra
nsp
lan
t Est
Date
-Tra
nsp
lan
t A
ctu
al
Days
to H
arv
est
Date
-Harv
est
Est
Date
-Harv
est
Act
ual
# o
f B
ed
s
Act
ual B
ed
s
Ro
wfe
et
Feet
per
Ou
nce
# s
eed
s p
er
foo
t
Pla
nts
/ F
oo
t
# o
f R
ow
s /
Bed
# o
f P
lan
ts
Fla
t S
ize
# o
f Fla
ts
# o
f S
eed
s
# o
f S
eed
s /
Oz
Ou
nce
s o
f S
eed
De Cicco Broccoli 12 28 28 56 58 114 1 100 0.667 1 66.7 50 2 200 6000 0.034Batavia Broccoli 12 28 28 56 58 114 2 200 0.667 1 133.4 50 4 400 6000 0.067Gypsy Broccoli 12 28 28 56 58 114 6 600 0.667 1 400.2 50 10 1000 6000 0.167Packman Broccoli 12 28 28 56 49 105 6 600 0.667 1 400.2 50 10 1000 6000 0.167Famosa Cabbage 12 28 28 56 70 126 1 100 1 1 100 72 2 288 7000 0.042Jersey Wakefield Cabbage 12 28 28 56 63 119 2 200 1 1 200 72 4 576 7000 0.083Even' Star Champion Collards 2 28 28 56 60 116 2 400 1 2 400 72 7 1008 7000 0.144Lacinato Kale 9 28 28 56 60 116 3 600 1 2 600 72 10 1440 7000 0.206Siberian Kale 2 28 28 56 60 116 3 600 1 2 600 72 10 1440 7000 0.206Red Lettuce 2 28 28 56 56 112 1.5 450 1.2 3 540 128 5 1280 24000 0.054Green Lettuce 2 28 28 56 56 112 1.5 450 1.2 3 540 128 5 1280 24000 0.054Kohlrabi Kohlrabi 9 35 28 63 50 113 1 200 1 2 200 72 4 576 6500 0.089Korridor Kohlrabi 7 35 28 63 50 113 1 200 1 2 200 72 4 576 6500 0.089Windsor Fava Bean 4 42 75 117 4 800 90 3.1 2 2444.44 275 8.889Perfection Fennel 2 42 35 77 80 157 1 300 1 3 300 72 5 720 7000 0.103Red Lettuce 2 42 28 70 56 126 0.5 150 1.2 3 180 128 2 512 24000 0.022Green Lettuce 2 42 28 70 56 126 0.5 150 1.2 3 180 128 2 512 24000 0.022Sugar Snap Pea 2 42 58 100 4 800 80 25 2 20000 2000 10Korridor Kohlrabi 7 49 28 77 50 127 1 200 1 2 200 72 4 576 6500 0.089Chioggia Beets 7 56 55 111 1.5 450 150 15 3 6600 2200 3Red Ace Beets 7 56 50 106 3 900 150 15 3 13200 2200 6Golden Beets 7 56 50 106 1.5 450 150 15 3 6600 2200 3Scarlet Nantes Carrot 7 56 65 121 2 600 600 30 3 18000 18000 1Yaya Carrot 7 56 56 112 2 600 600 30 3 18000 18000 1Purple Haze Carrot 7 56 56 112 1 300 600 30 3 9000 18000 0.5Napoli Carrot 7 56 58 114 2 600 600 30 3 18000 18000 1Red Lettuce 2 56 28 84 56 140 0.5 150 1.2 3 180 128 2 512 24000 0.022Green Lettuce 2 56 28 84 56 140 0.5 150 1.2 3 180 128 2 512 24000 0.022Corno di Toro Pepper 6 56 70 126 75 201 2 400 1 2 400 72 7 1008 4000 0.252Anaheim Pepper 6 56 70 126 75 201 1 200 1 2 200 72 4 576 4000 0.144Poblano Pepper 6 56 70 126 70 196 1 200 1 2 200 72 4 576 4000 0.144Pimiento Pepper 6 56 70 126 70 196 1 200 1 2 200 72 4 576 4000 0.144California Wonder Green/Red Pepper 6 56 70 126 70 196 6 1200 1 2 1200 72 20 2880 4000 0.72Hot mix Pepper 6 56 70 126 100 226 1 200 1 2 200 72 4 576 4000 0.144California Wonder Orange Pepper 6 56 70 126 85 211 3 600 1 2 600 72 10 1440 4000 0.36Cranberry Red Potato 3 56 28 84 80 164 5 500 10 1 #VALUE! #VALUE!All Blue Potato 3 56 28 84 120 204 5 500 10 1 #VALUE! #VALUE!Caribe Potato 3 56 28 84 80 164 5 500 10 1 #VALUE! #VALUE!Yukon Gold Potato 3 56 28 84 80 164 5 500 10 1 #VALUE! #VALUE!Standard Arugula 7 63 28 91 0.5 150 500 30 3 4500 15000 0.3Bright Lights Chard 2 63 35 98 59 157 3 600 1 2 600 72 10 1440 1875 0.768Perfection Fennel 2 63 35 98 80 178 1 300 1 3 300 72 5 720 7000 0.103
Vari
ety
Cro
p
Fie
ld
Date
-Seed
ing
Est
Date
-Seed
ing
Act
ual
Days
SD
to
TD
Date
-Tra
nsp
lan
t Est
Date
-Tra
nsp
lan
t A
ctu
al
Days
to H
arv
est
Date
-Harv
est
Est
Date
-Harv
est
Act
ual
# o
f B
ed
s
Act
ual B
ed
s
Ro
wfe
et
Feet
per
Ou
nce
# s
eed
s p
er
foo
t
Pla
nts
/ F
oo
t
# o
f R
ow
s /
Bed
# o
f P
lan
ts
Fla
t S
ize
# o
f Fla
ts
# o
f S
eed
s
# o
f S
eed
s /
Oz
Ou
nce
s o
f S
eed
De Cicco Broccoli 12 28 28 56 58 114 1 100 0.667 1 66.7 50 2 200 6000 0.034Batavia Broccoli 12 28 28 56 58 114 2 200 0.667 1 133.4 50 4 400 6000 0.067Gypsy Broccoli 12 28 28 56 58 114 6 600 0.667 1 400.2 50 10 1000 6000 0.167Packman Broccoli 12 28 28 56 49 105 6 600 0.667 1 400.2 50 10 1000 6000 0.167Famosa Cabbage 12 28 28 56 70 126 1 100 1 1 100 72 2 288 7000 0.042Jersey Wakefield Cabbage 12 28 28 56 63 119 2 200 1 1 200 72 4 576 7000 0.083Even' Star Champion Collards 2 28 28 56 60 116 2 400 1 2 400 72 7 1008 7000 0.144Lacinato Kale 9 28 28 56 60 116 3 600 1 2 600 72 10 1440 7000 0.206Siberian Kale 2 28 28 56 60 116 3 600 1 2 600 72 10 1440 7000 0.206Red Lettuce 2 28 28 56 56 112 1.5 450 1.2 3 540 128 5 1280 24000 0.054Green Lettuce 2 28 28 56 56 112 1.5 450 1.2 3 540 128 5 1280 24000 0.054Kohlrabi Kohlrabi 9 35 28 63 50 113 1 200 1 2 200 72 4 576 6500 0.089Korridor Kohlrabi 7 35 28 63 50 113 1 200 1 2 200 72 4 576 6500 0.089Windsor Fava Bean 4 42 75 117 4 800 90 3.1 2 2444.44 275 8.889Perfection Fennel 2 42 35 77 80 157 1 300 1 3 300 72 5 720 7000 0.103Red Lettuce 2 42 28 70 56 126 0.5 150 1.2 3 180 128 2 512 24000 0.022Green Lettuce 2 42 28 70 56 126 0.5 150 1.2 3 180 128 2 512 24000 0.022Sugar Snap Pea 2 42 58 100 4 800 80 25 2 20000 2000 10Korridor Kohlrabi 7 49 28 77 50 127 1 200 1 2 200 72 4 576 6500 0.089Chioggia Beets 7 56 55 111 1.5 450 150 15 3 6600 2200 3Red Ace Beets 7 56 50 106 3 900 150 15 3 13200 2200 6Golden Beets 7 56 50 106 1.5 450 150 15 3 6600 2200 3Scarlet Nantes Carrot 7 56 65 121 2 600 600 30 3 18000 18000 1Yaya Carrot 7 56 56 112 2 600 600 30 3 18000 18000 1Purple Haze Carrot 7 56 56 112 1 300 600 30 3 9000 18000 0.5Napoli Carrot 7 56 58 114 2 600 600 30 3 18000 18000 1Red Lettuce 2 56 28 84 56 140 0.5 150 1.2 3 180 128 2 512 24000 0.022Green Lettuce 2 56 28 84 56 140 0.5 150 1.2 3 180 128 2 512 24000 0.022Corno di Toro Pepper 6 56 70 126 75 201 2 400 1 2 400 72 7 1008 4000 0.252Anaheim Pepper 6 56 70 126 75 201 1 200 1 2 200 72 4 576 4000 0.144Poblano Pepper 6 56 70 126 70 196 1 200 1 2 200 72 4 576 4000 0.144Pimiento Pepper 6 56 70 126 70 196 1 200 1 2 200 72 4 576 4000 0.144California Wonder Green/Red Pepper 6 56 70 126 70 196 6 1200 1 2 1200 72 20 2880 4000 0.72Hot mix Pepper 6 56 70 126 100 226 1 200 1 2 200 72 4 576 4000 0.144California Wonder Orange Pepper 6 56 70 126 85 211 3 600 1 2 600 72 10 1440 4000 0.36Cranberry Red Potato 3 56 28 84 80 164 5 500 10 1 #VALUE! #VALUE!All Blue Potato 3 56 28 84 120 204 5 500 10 1 #VALUE! #VALUE!Caribe Potato 3 56 28 84 80 164 5 500 10 1 #VALUE! #VALUE!Yukon Gold Potato 3 56 28 84 80 164 5 500 10 1 #VALUE! #VALUE!Standard Arugula 7 63 28 91 0.5 150 500 30 3 4500 15000 0.3Bright Lights Chard 2 63 35 98 59 157 3 600 1 2 600 72 10 1440 1875 0.768Perfection Fennel 2 63 35 98 80 178 1 300 1 3 300 72 5 720 7000 0.103
Rotation Questions?
• Measure and map your fields • Divide into equal-sized ‘rotational
units’ • Group cash crops: family, seasonality • Create rotational plan outline • Fill in with cover crops • Create detailed field plan
Resources
• National Center for Appropriate Technology www.attra.ncat.org
• Available online at www.sare.org – Crop Rotation on Organic Farms: A
Planning Manual – Using Cover Crops Profitably
• Adams-Briscoe Seed Company www.abseed.com
Planning the Planting of Cover Crops and Cash
Crops Daniel Parson
Parson Produce 404.452.4321
www.parsonproduce.com