Cover Crops, Buckwheat
Buckwheat is an excellent summer cover crop to follow peas, lettuce, and early harvested Cole crops for weed control and soil building at this time. After harvesting these crops, Buckwheat can be drilled at 50 lb./A or broadcast at 70 lb./A. Buckwheat will cover a soil quickly and keep weeds out of the field. It will also attract beneficial insects to the field, loosen topsoil and rejuvenate low fertility soils. To keep it from becoming a weed problem in subsequent years, mow it down before it goes to seed. After mowing, it can be disked and planted to a fall cover crop like rye, wheat or barley. Seed cost ranges from 65 to 75 cents per pound.
Lake Plains Pest Minder 2003, Updated July 2006
The Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment and UMass Extension are equal opportunity providers and employers, United States Department of Agriculture cooperating. Contact your local Extension office for information on disability accommodations. Contact the State Center Director’s Office if you have concerns related to discrimination, 413-545-4800 or see ag.umass.edu/civil-rights-information.
