Cover Crop Calculator

[SD51555]

I was screwing around on Youtube tonight, and came across a website that has a pretty neat calculator to figure out seed rates for cover crops (or food plots).

https://greencoverseed.com/smartmix-calculator/

 

[tooln]

Neat. Will I use it, more then likely not, but It's something to play around with on a rainy day.

 

[dipper]

There is also one under midwestcovercrops.org or something like that. This one is more tailored as a purchasing tool.

 

[SD51555]

I was in there a little more last night. It seems like a great place to get individual seed in small quantities.

 

[j-bird]

Not to side-track the thread here, but does anyone know of a tool like this that tells you what your lbs/acre should be? Say I have an acre plot and want to broadcast winter pea, wheat, rye, and turnips - and it gives you how much of each seed type you need. I am always concerned that I am applying too little or too much seed and I have to always remind myself about seed size as it relates to weigh and coverage.

Now back to the original thread!

 

[SD51555]

This tool will do it. The seed rates you pick will give you the percentage of a pure rate per acre. Depending on seeding method, the guy that made this tool recommends 120-150% per acre seeding rates. I'll try to whip up an example and post it here...

 

[SD51555]

Full Rate: That is the rate per acre if you wanted a pure stand of that one variety.
lbs per acre: That is what you select for your blend. For example, 13lbs of cowpeas would be 19% of the full rate of 68lbs for pure stand.
% full rate: This is the overall total that your blend is adding up to. This is where the total percentage guidance of 120%-150 comes in. As long as the sum of your percentage rates is around 100%, or more if you've got sketchy seeding methods or questionable moisture, you'll have a complete blend that should cover your ground.

From there, you have to chop your calculations up or down depending on the size of your plot. If you have a two acre plot, multiply your seed pounds by 2. If it's a half acre, you divide by 2.

Hope that helps. Hope my leg gets better so I can go to work tomorrow. There isn't enough content flowing on HT today to keep me occupied.

 

[dipper]

I don't know much of anything about yellow clover, but aren't the peas used as a cover crop before the clover takes off? If growing white or red clover gave you the same calculation as yellow, the peas would be way too light. Or is yellow clover a quick grower like crimson?

 

[SD51555]

No idea. I just used those three cause they were in the same section on the calculator and made it easier to view. Not an actual blend I'd make. Now, what I am considering for mid june planting:

Existing plot:
50% WGF Sorghum
25% Cowpea
25% Turnips

New plot:
50% Soybean
25% Rye
25% Rapeseed blend

We have to weld up a new harrow for that to happen though.

 

[bryant]

Lol just plugged in what we planted and came out at 252%. We have planted the same mix the last couple of years on 8.5 acres and it stays mowed like a putting green. This year we bumped it up to 23 acres. Time will tell if they can keep that much ate down.

 

[SD51555]

Lol just plugged in what we planted and came out at 252%. We have planted the same mix the last couple of years on 8.5 acres and it stays mowed like a putting green. This year we bumped it up to 23 acres. Time will tell if they can keep that much ate down.

What did you put in? We're trying to get our plots into a shape that we can get some standing winter forage out there. I'm hoping the wild game sorghum will go over as a winter carb source for the deer. We don't really struggle with food until the snow starts flying. Now that logging has come to a halt up where we are, the winter browse buffet has gotten pretty lean. To supplement, we try to cut down some areas in December to get tops on the ground where we're going to be clearing and cleaning anyway.

 

[Freeborn]

One thing to keep in mind is whether or not you are incorporating the seed into the soil. If you are broadcasting the seed on the topsoil like allot of us do and in my case I have sandy soil you will need to greatly increase the seed rate. Soil type and rain also impact your germination rate.

Nice tool particularly for those seeds you don't frequently use.

 

[bryant]

SD, I'm in arkansas for reference. We did 50 rye, 50 oats, 3 radish, 3, crimson clover, 6 arrow leaf clover and 3 medium red. On about 3.5 acres we also added 2 of ladino clover. All of that was drilled except for a one acre plot we can't get big equipment into. There we sprayed and let it die then broadcast seed and then used a weedeater to knock everything down over the seed.

 

[dipper]

SD, I'm in arkansas for reference. We did 50 rye, 50 oats, 3 radish, 3, crimson clover, 6 arrow leaf clover and 3 medium red. On about 3.5 acres we also added 2 of ladino clover. All of that was drilled except for a one acre plot we can't get big equipment into. There we sprayed and let it die then broadcast seed and then used a weedeater to knock everything down over the seed.

This isn't high at all. That calculator appears to assume the plants are all going to grow the same way/ time. Some of that clover will hardly be visible till next year. The calculator is strictly cover crop based, with no food plot mentality. For food plotting this calculator does not appear knowledgable.