VNS or Rymin

Rye is the most winter hearty cereal and it is most productive during the winter. It’s best use is for winter pasture and soil improvement. It is very beneficial as a cover crop prior to soybeans. It also contains compounds that are toxic to many weed species including pigweeds and marestail. These same toxins are also inhibitory to sorghum however. So rye should not be used as a cover crop prior to sorghum.

Perhaps a bad word in a wheat producing area, rye does bring some positive factors to the cover crop and forage world.  A winterhardy, productive cool season grass, rye brings some allelopethic affects for weed control benefits.  Although not as high in feed quality as triticale or wheat, rye does produce tonnage for forage use. Triticale shares the deep rooting structure, and many of the same benefits as rye, including versatility on soil types.