Cereal Rye

Secale cereale

Cool season, drought tolerant tall annual grass adapted to a wide variety of conditions, including arid environments and clay soils. Establishes easy and likely to outperform all other cover crops on poor, infertile soils. Excellent at suppressing weeds when seeded heavy. Used as livestock forage between crop rotations; graze late fall or early spring. As a green manure or forage it performs best when planted with other species, such as Hairy vetch (Vicia villosa) or Triticale (Triticum aestivum x Secale cereale). Also use for quick soil cover, particularly in the late fall. May volunteer and become weedy.