Green manure seeds
Medium-early, drought-resistant variety with abundant vegetative biomass and a strong positive effect on the soil microbiome.
Advantages and Features
It performs well in crop rotations with rapeseed and sugar beet, as it is resistant to nematodes.
It is one of the best crops for converting phosphorus from unavailable forms into plant-available forms.
It has high resistance to prolonged high temperatures, as well as soil and atmospheric drought.
It has no common diseases or pests with cereal crops, including corn, legumes, oilseed crops (rapeseed, sunflower), or vegetable crops.
It attracts a wide range of pollinators, honeybees, and beneficial insects (entomophages).
Recommended sowing depth: 0.5–3 cm. The seed is highly photosensitive and will not germinate when exposed to direct sunlight, therefore proper incorporation into the soil is essential.
Recommended sowing period: March to September. The crop tolerates short-term frosts down to -5°C.
Medium-early variety. High sugar content. A highly effective solution for increasing soil microbial activity. It tolerates extreme July–August temperatures with minimal loss of productivity.
Advantages and Features
It has no common diseases with corn or early cereal crops.
It delivers a record increase in soil organic matter within a single season.
It forms biomass with a high sugar content even under conditions where other crops cannot grow due to moisture deficit.
It develops a deep, fibrous root system that provides good soil drainage and helps prevent soil compaction.
It serves as a food source for bacteria and fungi, as their populations significantly increase in the presence of sugars in the soil.
Recommended sowing depth: 1–5 cm. Tolerates significant overheating and can germinate in semi-dry soil conditions.
Recommended sowing period: late April to August. Sudan grass almost stops growing when the average daily temperature drops to 8°C, which prevents it from becoming overly dominant in mixes sown during August.
Advantages and Features
One of the best short-term nitrogen accumulators. In terms of nitrogen content in green biomass, it can compete with alfalfa when used for silage. A low thousand-seed weight allows for a high density of the legume component while using a small amount of seed.
It shares significantly fewer common diseases with soybean, rapeseed, and sunflower compared to peas and field beans, and does not promote the spread of Sclerotinia.
Continues vegetation after temperatures drop to 4–5°C throughout October–November.
It is colonized by nitrogen-fixing bacteria already at the 2–3 trifoliate leaf stage without seed inoculation (soil pH range should be 5.2–8).
During mild winters, it is capable of overwintering and rapidly regrowing in spring. It is easily controlled with most herbicides, including glyphosate, synthetic auxins, sulfonylureas, and triketones.
Recommended sowing depth: 0.5–3.5 cm. Tolerates significant overheating and can germinate in semi-dry soil conditions.
Recommended sowing period: March to September. Tolerates light frosts down to -5 to -6°C. At a height of 10–20 cm, it can withstand frosts down to -13°C, which allows the crop to be used as a wintering green manure in the southern regions of Ukraine.
Recommended seeding rates:
- 0.5–4 kg/ha in mixes
- 10–12 kg/ha for spring mono sowing (as green manure or for fodder purposes)
- 13–16 kg/ha for post-harvest sowing after early cereals or in mixes for silage (sowing period: June–July).
Medium-late variety with high early growth vigor.
Advantages and Features
- High heat and drought tolerance.
- One of the best varieties for combating soil compaction.
- Low thousand-seed weight enables maximum emergence even in semi-dry soil conditions.
- Good resistance to diseases that may affect winter rapeseed, sunflower, and soybean.
Recommended sowing depth: 0.5–4 cm. Tolerates significant overheating and can germinate in semi-dry soil conditions.
Recommended sowing period: April to September. Tolerates light frosts down to -3 to -4°C. When sown at the end of July, it does not have enough time to produce viable seed.
Recommended seeding rates:
- 0.5–1.5 kg/ha in mixes
- 3–6 kg/ha for spring mono sowing (as green manure or for fodder purposes)
- 6–10 kg/ha for post-harvest sowing after early cereals or in mixes for silage (sowing period: June–September).
Early variety with rapid growth rate.
Advantages and Features
- Maximum heat and drought tolerance.
- One of the best short-term nitrogen accumulators. A low thousand-seed weight (30–55 g) allows for a high density of the legume component while using a small amount of seed.
- It shares significantly fewer common diseases with soybean, rapeseed, and sunflower compared to peas and field beans, and does not promote the spread of Sclerotinia.
- Continues vegetation after temperatures drop to 4–5°C throughout October and November.
- It is colonized by nitrogen-fixing bacteria already at a plant height of 10–15 cm (soil pH range should be 5.2–8).
Recommended sowing depth: 2–5 cm. Tolerates significant overheating and can germinate in semi-dry soil conditions.
Recommended sowing period: March to September. Tolerates light frosts down to -5 to -6°C.
Recommended seeding rates:
- 3–15 kg/ha in mixes
- 35–60 kg/ha for spring mono sowing (as green manure or for fodder purposes)
- 35–80 kg/ha for post-harvest sowing after early cereals or in mixes for silage. Sowing period: June–July.
Early variety with rapid spring regrowth.
Advantages and Features
- Leader in nitrogen accumulation among all cover crops.
- Forms a large amount of vegetative biomass in a short period (April–May).
- Low thousand-seed weight results in a low seeding rate.
- Good winter hardiness (comparable to European winter barley varieties).
Medium-early variety with rapid growth rate.
Advantages and Features
- Maximum heat and drought tolerance.
- At a density of 12–20 plants per m² in mixes, it significantly reduces soil compaction down to a depth of 0.5 m.
- It provides good drainage and helps alleviate compaction in heavy soils. With sufficient rainfall, it can develop plants up to 1.8 m in height, with a root system capable of penetrating up to 2.5 m into the soil.
- Continues vegetation after light frosts of -2 to -4°C throughout October–November.
Recommended sowing depth: 0.5–4 cm. Tolerates significant overheating and can germinate in semi-dry soil conditions.
Recommended sowing period: March to September. Tolerates light frosts down to -2 to -4°C.
Recommended seeding rates:
- 0.5–4 kg/ha in mixes
- 8–12 kg/ha for spring mono sowing (as green manure or for fodder purposes)
- 12–13 kg/ha for post-harvest sowing after early cereals or in mixes for silage. Sowing period: June–July.
Medium-late variety with rapid growth rate.
Advantages and Features
- Maximum heat and drought tolerance.
- Flax is one of the best crops for increasing the population of mycorrhizal fungi, which leads to higher yields in all mycorrhiza-dependent crops, making it an essential component of cover crop mixes.
- It continues vegetation after light frosts throughout October–November.
- It branches well and develops a strong root system, allowing low seeding rates while maintaining maximum productivity in mixes.
Recommended sowing depth: 0.5–4 cm. Tolerates significant overheating and can germinate in semi-dry soil conditions.
Recommended sowing period: March to September. Tolerates light frosts down to -5°C.
Recommended seeding rates:
- 0.5–5 kg/ha in mixes
- 25–45 kg/ha for spring mono sowing for seed production