The Iowa cover crop fact sheets are a quick reference to aid in selection and identification of cover crop species. The fact sheets provide information on cultural traits, planting, and performance ratings.
Annual Ryegrass
Annual ryegrass is a deep-rooted winter annual grass that grows quickly and is excellent as a cover crop for fighting soil compaction.
Balansa Clover
Balansa clover is a cool season annual legume that provides an excellent nitrogen source to the soil. It is excellent in a cover crop mix for livestock grazing.
Barley
Barley is a cool-season annual grass that is very good as an Iowa cover crop for reducing soil erosion and fighting compaction.
Berseem Clover
Berseem clover is a fast growing summer annual legume that fixes and scavenges nitrates in the soil. Berseem clover is an excellent choice in a cover crop mix for livestock grazing.
Buckwheat
Buckwheat is a summer annual broadleaf cover crop that establishes and matures quickly, helping to suppress weeds and fight soil compaction.
Cereal Rye
Cereal rye is a cool-season annual grass that is a popular cover crop for its ability to establish in the fall, suppress weeds, reduce erosion and soil compaction.
Common Vetch
Common vetch is an annual or biennial cool-season legume cover crop used primarily in Iowa in mixes to fix nitrogen and help fight compaction in the soil.
Cowpea
Cowpea is quick growing warm-season annual legume that provides a good grazing
source and nitrogen fixation.
Crimson Clover
Crimson Clover is a quick growing cool-season, winter annual legume cover crop. It is a strong nitrogen fixer and scavenger. Crimson clover has a strong root system that helps reduce compaction and build soil.
Flax
Flax is cool-season annual broadleaf best used in cover crop mixes. Flax is an excellent soil compaction fighter and performs very well in drought conditions.
Foxtail Millet
Foxtail millet is a quick growing, drought tolerant annual, warm season grass most commonly used as a cover crop in Iowa to suppress weeds, reduce soil erosion, and provide supplemental livestock feed.
Forage Sorghum
Forage Sorghum is a quick growing summer annual grass that is an excellent cover crop for scavenging excess nitrogen, suppressing weeds, and fighting soil compaction.
Hairy Vetch
Hairy Vetch is a cool-season annual legume cover crop that can provide an excellent nitrogen
source. It grows slowly in the fall, but root development continues over winter, providing energy for quicker growth in the spring.
Japanese Millet
Japanese Millet is a quick growing introduced, annual, warm season grass most used in Iowa as a cover crop for choking weeds, providing supplemental grazing, and scavenging nitrogen.
Kale
Kale is cool-season annual broadleaf best used in cover crop mixes. Kale is an excellent source for livestock grazing and very good for weed suppression.
Mung Bean
Mung bean is a quick growing, drought tolerant summer annual legume cover crop that serves as a strong nitrogen fixer and soil builder.
Mustard
Mustard is a deep-rooted, quick growing cool-season annual broadleaf best used in cover crop mixes for fighting soil compaction and scavenging nitrogen from the soil.
Oats
Oats are a cool-season annual grass and popular Iowa cover crop because they grow quickly, help reduce soil erosion, and provide quality livestock grazing in the fall.
Pearl Millet
Pearl Millet is an upright summer annual bunchgrass, best used in Iowa as part of a cover crop mix. Pearl millet is an excellent nitrogen scavenger and provides quality livestock grazing.
Proso Millet
Proso Millet is a quick growing, warm season annual grass spreading in popularity as a cover crop used for suppressing weeds, erosion control, and supplemental livestock grazing.
Radish
Radishes are a cool-season annual brassica cover crop. They have a long taproot that helps with water infiltration and soil compaction. Radishes are also very good at scavenging excess nitrogen from the soil.
Rapeseed
Rapeseed is a fast-growing cool-season brassica often used in cover crop mixes to help fight soil compaction, capture residual nitrogen, and help with water infiltration.
Red Clover
Red Clover is an easy to establish cool-season, winter annual legume that provides an excellent nitrogen source to the soil. Many Iowa farmers use red clover in a mix for livestock grazing.
Sorghum-Sudangrass
Sorghum-Sudangrass is a quick growing summer annual grass used as a cover crop to scavenge excess nutrients in the soil, suppress weeds, and fight compaction.
Sudangrass
Sudangrass is a summer annual grass that is an excellent cover crop for scavenging excess nitrogen, suppressing weeds, fighting soil compaction, and providing supplemental livestock grazing.
Sunflower
Sunflower is a quick growing summer annual broadleaf cover crop often used in multi-species mixes to help fight soil compaction and scavenge excess nutrients in the soil.
Sunn Hemp
Sunn hemp is a quick growing summer annual legume cover crop that provides strong nitrogen fixation, lasting residue, and many soil health benefits.
Teff
Teff is a drought tolerant summer annual grass used as a cover crop in Iowa to help fight soil compaction, suppress weeds, and control erosion. Teff grass can also be used for supplemental livestock feed.
Triticale
Triticale is a deep-rooted cool-season annual grass that resembles wheat and cereal rye. It provides excellent cover, lasting residue, and scavenges nitrogen.
Turnip
Turnips are cool-season biennial brassicas that offer diversity in a cover crop mix. Turnips can help capture nitrogen in the field, reduce soil compaction, and provide quality grazing.
Wheat
Wheat is a cool-season annual grass that is an effective cover crop for weed suppression, erosion control, and as a livestock grazing supplement.
White Clover
White clover is a perennial legume effective as a cover crop for fixing nitrogen and reducing soil compaction.
Winter Camelina
Winter camelina is a winter hardy brassica used as a cover crop to fight soil compaction and scavenge excess nitrogen and phosphorus.
Winter Pea
Winter pea, also called field pea or Austrian winter pea, is a quick growing cool-season annual legume best used in cover crop mixes as a nitrogen source and soil builder.
Factsheets were created in a collaboration between USDA-NRCS and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach (Mark Licht, Hillary Olson, Mila Pessotto, J.D. Hollingsworth). Jason Johnson with USDA-NRCS designed the factsheets.