Rye GrassThe super Crop

Our soils are very complex and present many issues for our cash and also our cover crops. We have soil and compaction layers, acidic subsoil’s, and drainage issues that our crops must learn to adapt to and battle throughout the duration of their lives. Bounty Annual Ryegrass though is a crop that sees these challenges, yet never backs up from the challenge.

Some cover crops are better than others when it comes to dealing with soil compaction, acidic subsoil’s, and water logged soils. Many struggle to break though compaction, and may stop their progressive rooting depths once they hit acidic subsoil. Bounty Annual Ryegrass however is an evolved plant that does not let these challenges prevent it from achieving its goal. It is best known for its deep rooting capabilities that allow it to break through the compaction layers and continue to grow into those acid subsoil’s that most of us are faced with on our operations.

IMG_5919In Oregon where Bounty annual ryegrass seed is produced, the soils are wet, have a clay pan layer, and are very acidic. The soils pH is often 5 with a subsoil pH of 4 – 4.5. These conditions have forced the plant to evolve over the years, and in turn now thrive when presented with these conditions. This is why Bounty Annual Ryegrass does such an excellent job at living in wet soils, breaking up compaction, and going to such depths to gain us access to water and nutrients that are located at deeper depths in most of our Midwest soil profile.

When purchasing your seed it is important to make sure you know the origin of the seed. Species brought in from overseas and other parts of the United States may not grow in such conditions, and therefore may not be as successful at achieving our goals on our operations as Bounty Annual Ryegrass is.