Exploring Cereal Rye Planting Date and Seeding Rate in Illinois Row Crops

Navigating cover crop planting during a busy harvest can present many challenges. University of Illinois Extension Educator, Nathan Johanning, has been researching cover crop planting dates and seeding rates through a funded project with the Illinois Soybean Association checkoff program.

In this video filmed at the Belleville Research Center, he provides insights into planting date and seeding rates for cereal rye cover crop before soybeans. Nathan walks through each plot, and concludes that an early planting date, even at the lowest seeding rate, can yield high biomass.

To learn more about this ISA check-off funded project and find results, visit ILSoyAdvisor’s Research Hub: https://fieldadvisor.org/cover-crop-planting-date-in-il-row-crops/

About the Author: Kelsey Litchfield

Kelsey Litchfield is the Agronomic Outreach Specialist for the Illinois Soybean Association. In her role, she manages Field Advisor's media platforms and assists the agronomy team with events and field days. A native of Rio, IL, Kelsey earned her bachelor’s degree from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2017 where she double majored in Agricultural Communications and Broadcast Journalism.