Sweet Clover As A Cover Crop
Categories:
Grains and Forage Crops
How about melilotus as a cover crop? Last year in certain sections it
proved very successful, while in others it did not give satisfaction.
Melilotus, by virtue of its hardiness in growing at low temperatures,
its depth of root penetration, the availability of the seed, the
smallness of the seed so that the weight required for the acre is not
large, is to be favored for a cover crop. The objections are two: The
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fact that it does not seem to grow well under some conditions; second,
that when a growth is made it is coarse and rangey, and the amount of
green stuff to the acre is much less than its appearance would indicate.
We know of cases where what seemed to be a good stand of melilotus
yielded only about ten tons of green stuff to the acre, and what
appeared to be a less growth of vetches or peas yielded from fifteen to
twenty tons to the acre. And yet we believe that in some places it will
be found extremely desirable for a cover crop in harmony with what was
reported some time ago as the result of experiments by the Arizona