Lonestar Annual Ryegrass

Winter hardy cover crop with a high level of disease resistance

Add organic matter to your soil with Lonestar’s aggressive root growth and rapid forage growth. Lonestar excels at breaking up compacted soils and opening up root channels for use by future cash crops.
Species/Variety
Lifespan
Root Structure
Carbon Ratio
pH
Ryegrass/Lonestar (Diploid)
Annual
Rhizomatous
20:5
6.0-7.0

Tolerates or is useful for

Somewhat tolerant or useful for

Is not tolerant or useful for

BENEFITS

Lonestar can be planted following a cash crop harvest using a standard grain drill or it can be broadcast into maturing corn or soybeans using an airplane or high clearance air seeder. Alternatively, Lonestar can be inter-seeded into corn at last cultivation in early summer when corn is at the 6 leaf stage.
Forage Quality Ability to improve forage quality by suppressing weeds and providing highly nutritious forage  
Nutrient Recycling Ability to store excess nutrients from cash crops for use in subsequent plantings  
Quick Regrowth Ability to increase soil organic matter by accumulating biomass in a short period of time  
Soil Compaction Ability to increase nutrient uptake and root development by breaking up dense and compacted soil  
Erosion Control Ability to hold soil in place to capture and retain moisture from rainfall and prevent topsoil erosion  
Water Management Ability to increase field productivity by improving the drainage of wet soils  
Weed Suppression Ability to suppress weeds by shading soil and releasing allelopathic chemicals  
Nitrogen Fixation Ability to fix nitrogen into your soil for your subsequent cash crops to utilize as fertilizer for growth and energy  
Beneficial Insectary Ability to attract beneficial insects and reduce your reliance on costly insecticides  
Nematode Resistance Ability to suppress the growth of nematodes by interrupting their reproductive cycles  

Great Companion Crop

Adding a legume can improve soil fertility by fxing atmospheric nitrogen, adding biomass to help hold the soil and smothering weeds.

TOLERANCE

Lonestar, an improved diploid annual ryegrass variety, was bred for excellent cold tolerance, high level of disease resistance, seedling vigor and rapid forage growth.

Heat Ability to tolerate heat stress caused by warm temperatures and/or limited water availability  
Drought Ability to tolerate periods of limited water availability  
Sub-Freezing Ability to tolerate freezing temperatures for an extended period of time  
Shade Ability to tolerate low light conditions caused by plant competition  
Flood Ability to tolerate standing water or flooded areas for a limited period of time  
Low Fertility Ability to tolerate soils with limited nitrogen, and other mineral resources necessary for growth  

FORAGE USABILITY

Lonestar is an excellent producer of high quality forage. it covers the ground quickly, builds the soil over the winter, and provides abundant early spring feed ideal for grazing, hay or silage.
Silage  
Hay  
Grazing  
Stockpile  

Free Book: Easy-To-Read Cover Crop Charts & Recipes

Species Descriptions, Recommended Varieties, Traits, Benefits, Usage Charts, & Much More. Watch the video below.

PLANTING INSTRUCTIONS

Fall is the ideal planting time for Lonestar, allowing about 60 days of growth to establish a stand well-suited to survive the winter
  Monoculture In Mixes
Seeding Rate 10-15 lbs/acre drilled
25-30 lbs/ acre
broadcast
5-10 lbs/acre drilled
15-20 lbs/ acre
broadcast
Planting depth 1/4-1/2inch
ideal soil Grows best in soil with a pH range of 6.0-7.0 and can tolerate poorly drained soils.
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