The benefits of catch Choosing catch and cover crops and cover crops Think carefully whether you want catch and cover crops that: • increased crop yield by improving soil health • fix/lock in nitrogen • reinforced water management • increase organic matter content in arable land • decreased nutrient leaching and • improve soil structure more effective nutrient cycles • protect the soil from erosion • decreased fertilizer costs • control weeds • feed microbes • affect the accessibility of the soil nutrients • extract nutrients from the soil • minimize the need for use of pesticides • mprove the soils ability to retain water • weed control • provide a habitat for certain organisms • erosion prevention • increase the bearing capacity of the soil The multibeneficial • increased biodiversity • or dry the field in the spring faster • increased vegetative cover and catch and cover crops organic matter content in arable land Think about the answer, and test your ideas by using the catch and cover crop guides on the • increased carbon sequestration in arable land reverse side and on the web. Soil health is the basis of productive agricul- • catch and cover crops are a resource that can be ture. Good water management and soil used for example as pasture, livestock feed, structure is essential for farming to be seeds or as a raw material for biogas production productive and environmentally friendly. Are you interested in catch Catch and cover crops are a great help for and cover crops? diversifying the crop rotation and increasing vegetative cover. Catch and cover crops can be sown, for example: Yes, I am! Catch and cover crops are an important part I will read the whole guide on of a crop rotation that aims for productivity, • simultaneously with the main crop, in the middle of the growing season and after harvest or tillage the website sustainability and carbon sequestration. If • through the small seed box in the seeder the farm’s crop rotation does not include grasses, it is important to use catch and • through the seed drills ploughshares cover crops for continued photosynthesis on • when using seeding methods where seed are CATCH AND COVER CROPS GUIDE the field after the main crop is harvested. just cast on the soil, remember the meaning of https://carbonaction.org/materials/ mulching. Even the slightest mulching helps Catch and cover crops can be undersown keraajakasviratkaisin-ja-keraajakasviopas the seed germinate (in Finnish) simultaneously with the main crop or right • when weed harrowing after harvesting. https://carbonaction.org/ guide-om-fanggrodor-nu-pa-svenska/ (in Swedish) Catch and cover crops table

CEREALS AND HAYS LEGUMES

How to compose winter rye white a mixture of catch winter-hardy deep rooted clover and cover crops

favors pollinators, may overwinter in good conditions, 70 % barley italian broad red 2–3 reliable species ryegrass diversity some varieties overwinter bean clover e.g. rye, oat, italian ryegrass, white clover BRASSICALES OTHER

30 % oat English tall tillage linseed chicory sun- vetches crimson 4–6 species ryegrass fescue radish flower clover e.g. alfalfa, caraway, phacelia, other clovers and vicia

In addition sunflower, radish, pea, mustard, buckwheat and melilotus can be added in wheat wester- meadow oil phacelia buckwheat bird's-foot honey reversed the mix to create diversity world fescue radish trefoil clover clover and ecosystem services. ryegrass

timothy orchard rapeseed mustard hemp cumin blue alfalfa hop clover grass lupin

In the REVERSED CLOVER, CRIMSON CLOVER, TIMOTHY, TALL FESCUE, ITALIAN RYEGRASS, ALFALFA, CRIMSON CLOVER, ITALIAN RYEGRASS, WHITE CLOVER, ITALIAN RYEGRASS, RYE RED CLOVER, OAT, RYE, WHITE CLOVER REVERSED CLOVER, WHITE TIMOTHY, MUSTARD Carbon Action project, HONEY CLOVER, CLOVER, ITALIAN RYEGRASS, (after threshing and plowing) farmers have tried BUCKWHEAT, CRIMSON CLOVER, COCK’S-FOOT, WHITE HONEY CLOVER, ITALIAN WESTERWOLD RYEGRASS mixtures such as: OIL LINSEED, OIL HEMP, OIL RADISH, CLOVER, COMMON RYEGRASS, TALL FESCUE BARLEY, OAT, TILLAGE RADISH, TILLAGE RADISH, PHACELIA, HAIRY CHICORY FABA BEAN PHACELI, CRIMSON CLOVER VETCH, ITALIAN RYEGRASS, (after threshing and (after threshing and plowing) OAT, TRITICALE, RYE, RYEGRASS, ITALIAN RYEGRASS, plowing) TIMOTHY TIMOTHY, RED CLOVER