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RE: Prairie Seeding Cover Crops

I believe winter wheat is alleleopathic which means that it releases
chemicals in the ground to suppress growth in other plants.  The literature
that I have on ReGreen shows it as a cross between common wheat and tall
wheatgrass (Triticum aestivum x Elytrigia elongata).  I don't know if this
is alleleopathic too. We typically use a mix of canada rye, winter rye,
oats, barley, perennial rye and/or annual rye as a cover crop that allows
for a quicker establishment of native vegetation than a single species cover
crop seeding.  In some steep slope seedings - landfills, quarries, bluffs,
etc. - we have established whatever cover crop is desired to form a quick
dense root zone, even if it is shallow. Then we herbicide these off and
reseed into the dead sod with a no-till drill.  It takes a little longer to
get a good establishment of the native plant but with significant less soil
erosion.



-----Original Message-----
From: owner-prairie@mallorn.com [o*@mallorn.com]On
Behalf Of Tom Schneider
Sent: Friday, October 13, 2000 12:12 PM
To: prairie@mallorn.com
Subject: Prairie Seeding Cover Crops


Does anyone have experience using a ReGreen as a cover crop?  It is a winter
wheat/slender wheatgrass hybrid that is supposedly good as a cover crop.  In
the
one application I have observed it appears to have had a negative impact
upon
native grasses relative to adjacent areas where a cover crop was not used.
So
I'm interested in others experience with this particular product and any
recommendations for appropriate cover crop.  It may well be that the ReGreen
was
planted at too heavy a rate as this was the first use at the facility.
However,
the stark contrast between cover crop and no cover crop areas is concerning
us.

I can provide some background on why we need a cover crop in this particular
application.  We are working on a large landfill.  The vegetative cover is
going
to be warm-season grasses.  But as we know they can take a while to get
established.  In the meantime we need some cover crop to reduce erosion off
the
facility.  We are trying to blend our stormwater requirements with our
desire to
have a native plant cover on the landfill.  The ReGreen worked very well to
establish quickly with a fall seeding and provide erosion control.  However
the
lack of success for the native grasses is concerning.

Any information you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

--
Tom Schneider, Fernald Project Manager
Ohio EPA
Office of Federal Facilities Oversight
tschneid@offo2.epa.state.oh.us
http://offo2.epa.state.oh.us/FERNALD/fernald.htm


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