Elbon
Cereal Rye
Life Cycle: Annual
Introduced/ Native: Introduced
Growth Habit: Erect
Plant Height: 30-36 inches
BENEFITS
● Provides good grazing and forage for livestock
● Well adapted to South & Central Texas
● Helps suppresses nematodes
● Excellent choice for low pH acid soils.
● Excellent cover crop/green manure crop.
● Adapted to light sandy -sandy loam soils.
Description
Elbon rye is an upright, cool season, annual small grain that is adapted and planted through most of the U.S. It is adapted to a wide variety of climate and soil conditions but performs best on light loams or sandy soils, but it will also do well in clay soils. It can be used as livestock forage, wildlife plantings as well as for cover/green manure crops.
As a cover crop, cereal rye can scavenge nitrogen, build soil organic matter, loosen topsoil (reduce compaction), prevent erosion, and suppress weeds. In addition, cereal rye serves as a trap crop or host plant for nematodes. Once nematodes enter the plant, they cannot escape. When the plant decomposes, it releases organic acids and stimulates soil microorganisms which further reduce the nematode population.
Crop USe
Dry Hay
Continuous Grazing
Rotational
Gtazing
Wildlife
USe
