As dairymen across northeast Wisconsin expand herd size, more corn silage is being grown to meet forage needs. On erosion prone slopes with limited residue cover, soil and water losses are a concern following corn silage harvest.

Using winter rye as a cover crop following corn silage is one of several cover crop options. Some growers using rye in this situation are experiencing problems in spring with excess soil moisture use and green crop residue to contend with (Stute, 2000). Local growers have raised specific questions regarding how long winter rye needs to be left standing in spring to achieve adequate residue cover after tillage. NRCS standards suggest a 30% residue cover on highly erodible land.

The purpose of this study was to determine the differences in residue cover following a winter rye cover crop suppressed in spring with herbicide at various plant heights.