Plan your seeding of catch crops now!
Planned crop rotations are often the key to success in organic arable farming!
Planned crop rotations that feature the correct catch crops are often the key to success in organic arable farming. Catch crops, green fallow, undersowing and mixed crops maintain the soil cover year-round, protecting soil life. Similar to appropriate crop rotation, catch crops can be an effective method to suppress weeds. Catch crops have the ability to suppress weeds, just like crop rotations do. Diverse, year-round rooting and continuous, vigorous growth.
Catch crops are used for the following objectives:
- To feed soil life
- To promote root exudation, which is responsible for soil organism nutrient supply. Sugars, vitamins, acids and other elements are released from the catch crop roots into the soil.
- For the formation of soil crumbs thanks to living organisms (earthworms)
- As ground cover that acts as protection against extreme weather conditions, silting and drying out of the soil
- For rooting (better absorption of water and nutrients from the soil)
- To improve soil fertility
- Humus formation
- As “nutrient replenishment” thanks to the catch crop
- Breaking up the main crop rotation
- To promote the proliferation and activity of mycorrhiza and microorganisms
- To promote straw rot
- As protection against erosion, particularly in hillside locations
General tip: Catch crops maintain the soil cover year round promoting soil life!
Prevention of diseases
Practical examples:
- After a crop of peas, avoid sowing more peas, lupins, vetches or field beans. Peas are particularly
- sensitive to diseases caused by crop rotation.
- The same applies (although to a lesser degree) to lupins and field beans. After a main crop of field beans, do not use (grain) legumes as the catch crop.
- Mustard and oil radish are cruciferous plants. They should therefore not be sown after oilseed rape due to the risk of cabbage hernia, Verticillium rape wilt and Sclerotinia white stem disease.
- Sugar beet can be decimated by nematoderesistant mustard and oil radish varieties.
- Oil radish is a deep-rooting crop, which makes it ideal for loosening the soil for cereal crop rotations. Phacelia and mustard must not be included in potato crop rotations because they pass on Rattle Virus (a pathogenic plant virus)
General tip: The right mix is key! Rooting abilities, germination conditions, N-fixation, etc.
In a nutshell:
- Balanced catch crop mixes reduce the risk of crop rotation diseases and interrupt chains of infection.
- Stubborn weeds such as thistle and dock can therefore be reduced.
- Particularly on organic farms, legumes are ideal when it comes to binding nitrogen for the next crop.
- The more species the better – ideally more than 8, but 5 as a minimum. This means that there is something suitable for every weather condition and sufficient ground cover is achieved.
- Due to their root formation, grasses should be included in every mix. Mixes should contain plants with different root penetration, N fixation, germination times, etc. Cover crop species should be put together in such a way that leaching losses are minimised, and the release of nutrients can be adapted according to the needs of the subsequent crop.
Practical tip: It’s all about the right mix. The more species in the catch crop the better (ideally 8-10). Include a minimum of 5!
General tip : Catch crops must always be adapted to suit the site and unique conditions they will be grown in, e.g. dry land, wetland, etc.
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