A combination of grains, broadleaves and legumes formulated to provide biodiversity and assists in promoting the health of your soil. Providing a blanket of biomass over the soil to ensure water infiltration; nitrogen fixing legumes, protection against soil erosion and suppressing pests and weeds. Biological BioNPK S Coated. ECOCERT APPROVED.
Key attributes
- Multi-species summer cover blend
- High biomass for soil cover
- Nitrogen fixing legume component
- Attracts beneficial insects
- Improves soil structure and health
Mix components
Formulation 2025
| Component |
|---|
Cowpeas Fast growing annual legume known for their heat and drought tolerance providing a great source of added nitrogen fixation and is a very versatile and high-quality summer forage crop for grazing, hay or silage. |
Millet Early summer feed. Quick to establish, high yielding leafy plant producing high quality grazing with good regrowth. A great fibre provider. |
Sorghum Sorghum and improvement providing good weed suppression, adding organic matter back into the soil, can assist by penetrating compacted subsoils. Very strong seedling vigour and recovery after grazing. Soil health benefits with robust root system that assists with |
Chicory A perennial herb and is a drought tolerant option as a perennial pasture for temperate areas of Australia. Chicory possesses a very deep tap root which has been known to break mild hard pans and draw moisture from deep within the soil profile. This taproot allows it to “hang” on well and produce quality forage that has high nutrient and energy levels. Tolerant of grazing pressure and has parasite inhibiting properties. The flowers attract beneficial insects. |
Sunflowers Soil health benefits with robust root system that assists with drawing up nutrients, erosion control and mycorrhizal growth in the soil. Their strong tall stalks offer support for other companion species, and they attract numerous beneficial insects. |
Hobsons Forage Brassica Hobsons Forage Brassica growth are good for weed suppression and is good for reducing surface compaction. Good forage feed. |
Winfred Forage Brassica’s large leaf area and rapid growth provide good weed suppression and reduced surface compaction. Versatile and suitable for a wide range of soil fertility and environmental conditions, stock classes and sowing times. Winfred has good frost tolerance and excellent regrowth potential and may extend grazing times from early summer to late winter. Good forage feed. |
Tillage Radish Early summer feed. Excellent cover crop to assist in breaking a compaction layer in the soil. Being deeply rooted it will relocate nutrients further down in the soil profile and bring them back to the surface when decomposition starts. Also produces high levels of biomass, especially below the surface. |
Buckwheat is widely grown as a cover crop with rapid and dense growth choking out weeds. Buckwheat is also often grown to attract beneficial insects. Cover cropping serves as a valuable forage for livestock in mixed farming systems and there is a long list of important benefits that include soil health, erosion control, weed suppression, nutrient management, drought resilience, salinity management, pest and disease management, Enhanced Biodiversity,Sustainable integrated cropping systems, Carbon Sequestration in the soil and is one of the criteria earning Australian Carbon Credits (ACCUs). Cover crops provide protection to what may be bare soil for a large portion of the year. By planting a variety of species creates biodiversity providing benefits for the environment. Cover crops improve the soils by covering the soil like a protective blanket of biomass ensuring water infiltration and retention. By mulching the cover crop further benefits are achieved by firstly maintaining the cover for the benefits mentioned above but also adding organic matter and carbon to the soil once decomposed. Planting a selection of different species for a cover crop is the crucial element to provide biodiversity that can assist in promoting the health of your soil. |
*Occasionally some varieties in our mix will be replaced with a like-for-like variety where the original is not available or not easily accessible. Varieties in the mix will be specified on the bag label.
About this variety
Cover Crop Plus Summer Mix is an Irwin Hunter blend that does two jobs at once: it produces genuine forage for livestock in a mixed farming system, and it delivers the soil benefits a cover crop is sown for.
That dual purpose is the point of it. A cover crop grown purely for soil is a cost; one that also carries stock through a feed gap pays for itself while it works.
The blend combines species producing high levels of biomass with nitrogen fixing legumes and plants that attract beneficial insects, so the paddock builds organic matter, fixes its own nitrogen and supports the insect populations that help control pests in surrounding crops.
Multi-species blends outperform single-species covers because different root architectures work different parts of the soil profile, and a diverse mix is more resilient to a difficult season than any one species sown alone.
It suits growers wanting summer ground cover on paddocks that would otherwise sit bare, with the option of grazing it rather than only incorporating it.
Planting & grazing notes
Optimal sowing time Spring. Can be grazed, mulched, or left to stand. If grazing, rotate/strip graze to allow recovery. Fast growing annual legume known for their heat and drought tolerance providing a great source of added nitrogen fixation and is a very versatile and high-quality summer forage crop for grazing, hay or silage. Quick to establish, high yielding leafy plant producing high quality grazing with good regrowth. Tolerant of grazing pressure and has parasite inhibiting properties. Winfred has good frost tolerance and excellent regrowth potential and may extend grazing times from early summer to late winter.
How it's sold
| Form | Pack | Status |
|---|---|---|
| BioNPK-S coated | 25 kg | In stock |
