OPEN-POLLINATED WINTER RYE

from 2023 Winter Grains & Cover Crops Seed Guide

WINTER WHEAT

Winter Rye is the most cold-hardy winter grain, germinating down to 35˚F. It can be grazed deep into the fall, out competes weeds, and produces lots of forage or green manure in the spring. It performs better than other winter grains on low fertility and/or droughty soils. It has excellent feed value as a forage. Average grain yields range from 35-50 bu/acre.

Best Use

Cover Crop, Fall/ Spring Forage, Grain

Requirements

Adaptations

All soil types & environments

Planting Date

Sept - Nov 15 (depending on intended use)

Winter rye fertilization should be managed to match its intended use.

A cover crop of rye does not require any added N fertilizer, forage rye may require from 40-80 lbs. of N, and a highinput crop of hybrid rye could require up to 150 lbs. of N depending on: a). previous crop, b). expected yield, and c). soil organic matter.

When growing as a cover crop, terminate winter rye at least 10 days to 2 weeks before planting cash crops in the spring. No-tilling into winter rye can also be a viable system in the Upper Midwest with careful management.

Seeding

For Cover Crop: Drill, broadcast or fly-on 50 - 75 lbs/acre. Time broadcast/aerial seedings with forecasted rains into field corn, sweet corn or soybeans at beginning of leaf senescence (yellowing) in the fall.

For Forage/Grain: Drill open-pollinated varieties at 100 lbs/ acre 1 to 1 ½" deep. It is possible to get a poor stand from seeding rye too deep.

For Roll-Down System: Drill 120 - 150 lbs/acre. Early, accurate planting in fall is critical for best establishment, tillering and biomass production in the spring.

WINTER RYE (VNS) *

• Economical choice for forage, grain, or cover cropping

• Northern origin

Available as: Conventional

Hazlet Winter Rye

• Canadian variety; no license requirement

• Among highest yielding OP varieties available

• Excellent yield potential; matures late

• Shorter height, good standability

Available as: Conventional Organic

Aroostook Winter Rye

• Early-heading variety; popular choice for organic, no-till, rolldown systems

• Very tall, high biomass variety; good winter hardiness

• Good spring recovery, early-season vigor

• Will head out earlier than other winter rye varieties

• High lodging potential, thinner stems

Available as: Conventional Organic

Danko Winter Rye

• Polish variety with very high yields, heavy test weight, and large, plump kernels

• Good milling/distilling characteristics for an OP variety

• Good winter hardiness and standability

• Well recognized in Canada and increasingly popular in US

• Great spring biomass production

Available as: Conventional Organic

ND GARDNER WINTER RYE**

• Very tall, early-maturing variety that may replace Aroostook

• Excellent winter hardiness

• Higher seed yields and more biomass accumulation vs. Aroostook

• Requires license before delivery/pickup

• Good candidate to trial in the organic no-till roll down system or as a forage crop

• Released by NDSU

Available as: Conventional Organic

Covermax

• Bred to maximize the benefits of winter rye as a cover-crop

• Outstanding emergence and early biomass growth in the spring

• Utilize seeding rates and dates for standard VNS Rye

• Not suitable for grain production (contains a trace of winter wheat)

*Variety not stated

**Requires a license agreement

Available as: Conventional