Potential risks associated with diverse cover crops, diverse pastures and diverse forage crops
Risks to consider with diverse crops or pastures
Goals and expectations
Thinking that diversity is a magic bullet and therefore not implementing good agronomic management (the power of diversity has limits)
Wasting money - make sure the benefits outweigh the costs of seed, time, machinery use etc.
Yield of diverse forage crops being lower than what you need
Potential soil and plant issues
Allelopathy (suppressing other plants)
Crop management impact
Introducing ‘weedy’ crop plants
Too many species mature before planned grazing, resulting in loss of feed quality and animal performance
Contaminating arable seed crops; if you are in a seed producing area please discuss your cover crop species with local seed growers and/or the Foundation for Arable Research (far.org.nz)
Hosting crop diseases
Schematic showing how allelopathy impacts other plants.
(Note: Click on any underlined in blue word(s) in the text below to open a definition of that term).
Disclaimer: The information, opinions and ideas presented in this content is for information purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Any reliance on the content provided is done at your own risk. (click here to view full disclaimer).
Toolbox index
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Getting started with a regenerative approach to farming
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Knowing where to start
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About regenerative agriculture
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Getting to know soil health
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Soil health
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Biological nutrient cycling
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Managing your water cycle
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Farmer experience
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Exploring diverse crops / pastures
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What are diverse crops or pastures (and how do I use them?)
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Selecting, establishing and managing diverse crops and pastures
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Farmer experience
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Regenerative grazing management