The Effect of Sowing Date on Biomass and Nitrogen Accumulation of Five Winter Cover Crop Species

Winter cover crops are used to protect soil from nitrogen (N) loss in fallow periods of crop production. For sufficient N accumulation, it is essential to produce high amount of biomass, and therefore it is important to sow cover crop as early as possible after the main crop harvest. A two-year field experiment was carried out in northern climate to study the effect of sowing date on biomass and N accumulation of five winter cover crop species: winter rye (Secale cereale L.), winter turnip rape (Brassica rapa spp. oleifera L.), forage radish (Raphanus sativus L. var. longipinnatus), hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth), and berseem clover (Trifolium alexandrinum L.).