OPTIMAL COVER

MKC Optimal Program

Protect your soils with Optimal Cover

When living roots are continually in the soil, it provides many benefits for soil health and the environment. Cover crops are proven to prevent erosion, improve soil structure, increase organic matter, suppress weeds, increase moisture and nutrients in the soil, and more.  

MKC has formulated fall and summer cover crop seed mixes that provide numerous management options. Contact one of our strategic account managers  or your nearest  MKC location to learn more. 

COVER CROP SEED BASED ON YOUR NEEDS

Cover crops can provide multiple benefits to your farm. Our mixes are formulated to equip you with a variety of management options. Whether you are looking to reduce herbicide passes, graze cattle or simply protect the soil, MKC has a cover crop mix to meet your needs. 

MKC SUMMER MIX OPTIONS

MKC has formulated three summer cover crop mixes using a variety of warm season grasses and legumes to provide ground cover, break compaction and serve as an additional feed source.

summer-mix

MKC Summer Mix

Drought tolerant and rapid tillering warm season grasses provide quick ground cover and quality forage for feed. Fibrous roots produce significant below-ground root biomass that can break compaction layers.

Bmr-Summer-Mix

MKC Summer Mix (BMR Sudan)

All the same benefits of the MKC Summer Mix, but with added palatability and feed quality. The BMR trait allows it to keep its quality longer into the season by reducing lignin content. 

Legume-Mix

MKC Legume Mix

This mix has legumes for nitrogen production and sunflowers and brassicas to break compaction. It can be planted to make nitrogen between wheat crops or for next year's corn crop. 

MKC FALL MIX OPTIONS

Fall cover crop mixes have rates of radishes and turnips in addition to key cereal grains. These mixes are formulated to break compaction, scavenge nutrients and offer additional grazing.

cover-after-corn

Cover Crop After Corn

The major component of this mix is rye, which provides good canopy and weed suppression with manageable residue. While the rye will have some fall growth, most growth takes place in the spring. 

grazing-mix

Fall or Spring Grazing Mix

This mix is 50% rye and 50% triticale. Rye will green up first in the spring, followed by triticale a couple weeks later. This helps offer a longer spring grazing season. 

oats

Winter Kill Mix

Oats are the key ingredient in this mix. Combined with turnips and radishes, this mix can break compaction, scavenge nutrients and offer additional grazing. All components will winter kill. 

wheat-seeds

HYBRID RYE

This new fall option offers the toughness of cereal rye with the ability to manage and get production similar to triticale. It provides more tonnage for grazing or haying and more biomass with a later termination option for cover crop. It responds to fertility compared to a cereal rye.  

groveland-plant

STATE-OF-THE-ART COVER CROP  BLENDING PLANT

Located in Groveland, our five-bin seed facility with blending capabilities has all the base ingredients for cover crop needs for producers. We offer our MKC mixes, but we will also create a custom mix to fit your needs. Cover crop mixes are blended into bulk bags or tender trucks. 

The cover crop market is growing for a number of reasons. MKC wants to meet the needs of our producers with quality seed that’s designed to perform on local fields. This facility helps us provide cover crop seed and blends to across our entire footprint. We source different seed, make the blend and provide it directly to our producers. 

CONTACT US ABOUT OPTIMAL COVER

*Required Fields

MKC

PO Box D
Moundridge KS 67107

Office Phone: (620) 345-6328
Toll Free: (800) 864-4428

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

planting-seeds

Cover Crops Help Stabilize the Future of Farmland

Cover crops continue to gain popularity as a way to improve farm ground. The regenerative agriculture movement is quickly showing an impact on the way they can improve soil structure and keep nutrients in place. This article highlights the considerations when choosing a cover crop mix and the benefits each mix brings to the field.

cows-in-the-field

Some Cover Crops are Better Choices than Others

Cover crops can increase soil nutrients, reduce soil erosion, and suppress weeds. For cattle producers, cover crops also provide an additional source of feed. MKC Strategic Account Manager Chris Thompson talks cover crop management practices in this Hillsboro Star Journal article.

in-the-field

Covering Their Bases

“It was different than anything we’ve done before. We were planting into green stuff this tall,” Justin Regehr says, raising his hand level to his brow as he sat upright in his chair. Originally published in our Connections newsletter, this article tells the story of Inman farmers Justin and Royce Regehr’s success with cover crops on their operation.