We encourage you to play around with this simplified Cost Of Production calculator to understand better how implementing a Full Season Cover crop can significantly reduce input costs by eliminating fertilizer.

Eliminate Fertilizer

The Full Season Cover

One thing we have all learned from our years of farming is that we cannot predict Mother Nature - no matter how many weather forecast models we look at. But what if we gave Mother Nature a blend of warm & cool season plant species this spring (instead of 1 species) to align our farming systems with her unpredictability?

Let’s dive into the agronomic reasons as to why you might consider the Full Season Cover.

1. Plant Species

• Full Season Cover (15 Plant Species): If cool/wet conditions are present, cool-season plant species will accumulate biomass. If hot/dry conditions are present, warm-season plant species will accumulate biomass.

• Monocrop Greenfeed (1 Plant Species): Will do well in conditions of cool & wet. Slow biomass production in the summer months due to the dry conditions & high temperatures.

To learn more about the benefits of having C4 plants & C3 plants in a blend, click here.

2. Fertilizer Applied

• Full Season Cover: Plants are forming symbiotic relationships with rhizobium bacteria, mycorrhizal fungi, and other soil micro-organisms to fix, solubilize & share nutrients. No fertilizer is required.

  • Multi-species NDURE Inoculant is required.

• Monocrop Greenfeed: Average of $100/acre.

  • 80 Ibs/acre of Nitrogen & 20 Ibs/acre of Phosphorus (no potassium or sulphur was factored in)

3. Herbicide Application

• Full Season Cover: Only a pre-burn application of glyphosate (without residual) is recommended.

  • $10.00/acre

• Monocrop Greenfeed: Pre-burn application & in-crop herbicide required.

  • $10.00/acre + $15.00/acre + your time in the sprayer.

4. Feed Value

• Full Season Cover: A balanced feed of energy & protein. (Cereals & Legumes) To view the feed analysis research summary, Click Here.

• Monocrop Greenfeed: Lower protein feed due to the fact that cereals are lower in protein.

5. Wide silage window

• Full Season Cover: The moisture being held by the vegetative legumes in the blend allows for a 3-4 week silage window. To learn more about this finding, click here.

• Monocrop Greenfeed: When a mono-crop hits a certain maturity, the ideal moisture will be there for a short period of time as the plant naturally dries down.

6. Regrowth

• Full Season Cover: Expect a balanced feed ration (energy & protein) of Hairy Vetch, Berseem Clover & Italian Rye Grass to regrow.

• Monocrop Greenfeed: None to very little.

Full Season Cover

why not a trial?

Even if it’s on 30 acres (1 tote of Full Season Cover), we challenge you to put it up against your monocrop greenfeed this spring. Although we can’t guarantee the weather - we can guarantee that a multi-species blend will help your farm align with Mother Nature’s unpredictability.

We all want to leave the land a little better than the day we found it - for the next generation.

FULL SEASON COVER

Farmer Testimonials

Click here to find testimonials from across Western Canada who have mentioned the Full Season Cover on social media via Twitter, Facebook & Instagram.