18 / SEEDWORLD.COM OCTOBER 2018 Research and Education (SARE), winter wheat in particular can be an effective cover crop option. It provides the benefits of other cereal crops, as well as a grazing option prior to spring tiller elongation, and it’s less likely than barley or rye to become a weed. Wheat is also easier to termi- nate. Additionally, growers are increas- ingly turning to winter wheat instead of rye because it’s cheaper and easier to manage in the spring. Yet, specialists don’t currently recommend winter wheat as often as winter rye. “Although wheat is used as a cover crop, especially in areas where wheat is used as a cash grain crop, there are some challenges with it,” says Bert Strayer, cover crop lead for the Western U.S. of La Crosse Seed. “If a cover crop is seeded after a full-term soybean or corn crop and it’s getting late into the seeding season, winter rye is often the better option due to its ease of establishment and superior winter-hardiness.” Strayer notes that there are some ben- efits for using a wheat. “Winter wheat would be a substitute for winter rye especially when specific empha- sis is put on forage quality,” he says. Winter wheat could be beneficial for erosion control, weed suppression and catching nutrients as well, according to data from SARE. “Wheat enhances cycling of nitro- gen, potassium and phosphorus,” SARE researcher shows. “A heavy nitrogen feeder in the spring, wheat takes up nitro- gen relatively slowly in autumn. It adds up, however.” Strayer says that every field is differ- ent, though. “Cover cropping is very situational,” Strayer says. “It depends on what the production system calls for and allows. Depending on the benefits they’re looking for and what time they have available, growers have a number of dif- ferent options. As an example of a pro- active approach, if there’s enough time between late winter and spring planting in a row crop rotation, there could be a cover crop opportunity.” There’s not just one way to achieve success with cover crops. “Neighbors side-by-side of each other could have different goals, and therefore, different cover crop systems,” Strayer says. “As we continue learning, wheat has the potential to become a more important cover crop, but our production system might need modification.” Wheat has a bright future ahead, as both a cash crop and a cover crop. However, wheat might not be the best cover option until more research comes to light about the possible benefits it can provide. SW