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Rye cover crop

Cover Crops in South Dakota

Soil Health Principle #4: Keep a living root!

Resources and information for cover crops in South Dakota

Cover Crop Selection

Cover crops provide seasonal vegetative cover on cropland resulting in many possible conservation benefits. Choices range from single species to diverse mixtures. Selecting cover crop species adapted to the production rotation, resource concerns present, and landowner goals is crucial for successful adoption of the cover crop practice.

  • Cover Crop Table (PDF; 298 KB)
  • Cover Crop Chart (ARS)
  • SD-JS-340 Job Sheet (Cover Crop Seeding Plan and Record) (Excel; 3.6 MB)
  • SD Cover Crop Tech Note 16 (This technical note is to serve as a guide for installing cover crops according to the practice standard found in the South Dakota (SD) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Technical Guide.)
  • South Dakota Cover Crop Poster (Soil Health Coalition site) Species rated as sporadic(S) for overwinter are not intended as an overwinter cover crop and may require additional control under the right conditions. Cereal rye, Winter Wheat and Winter Triticale now have the same before and after Oct. 1 seeding recommendation and are not reflected in the poster. 

Cover Crop Management

Cover crops can be managed to meet many different producer objectives. Whether added to promote soil health or used for grazing, proper termination and utilization are essential cover crop management strategies.