Key considerations in terminating cover crops

Successful termination is a critical step in the use and management of cover crops in cropping systems. The method and timing of cover crop termination are two factors that will largely determine the outcome. Selection of an appropriate method and timing will depend on the cover crop species and the goals for using the cover crop (Fig. 1). The benefits of cover crops are correlated with the amount of growth achieved, specifically the biomass and ground covered provided by cover crop vegetation. Among all cover crop management factors, termination timing has the greatest effect on biomass production (Lawson et al., 2015; Mirsky et al., 2011; Mirsky et al., 2013). These decisions often require a tradeoff between the potential benefits of maximizing cover crop biomass while minimizing the risk of potential crop yield reductions associated with high biomass levels. Growing the cover crop for as long as possible can maximize the amount of biomass production and ground cover, but timely management is also necessary because failure to terminate by a certain growth stage can lead to control failures and have a negative effect on the following cash crop.