Companion Crops

Buckwheat is a fast-growing annual crop, with a dense canopy for excellent weed suppression. Buckwheat scavenges phosphates, helping to reduce leaching. 

• Rapid establishment and growth make it an ideal short-season crop
• A dense canopy works efficiently as an excellent weed suppressant
• Nectar-rich, helping boost pollinators and other beneficial insects
• Scavenges phosphates from the soil for future crops
• Sowing rate: 50kg / ha

BINGO purple vetch is an exciting development in short term cover cropping and establishes quickly producing good levels of bio-mass. Purple vetch is very susceptible to frost and will be removed quickly when temperatures drop below freezing. 

• Very frost sensitive
• Fast to establish
• Nitrogen fixing
• Suites early autumn sowings 
• Sowing rate: 20kg / ha

Popular combination of  TABOR berseem clover to fix nitrogen and the protective canopy of LIFAGO buckwheat.

• Suitable for Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI): IPM3
• Protects the oilseed rape plants from flea beetle
• Best sown 7 days before drilling OSR
• Contains: 40% TABOR Berseem Clover, 60% LIFAGO Buckwheat
• Sowing Rate: 10kg/ha

The complete companion crop - tried, tested and recommended by us. Provides the ultimate protection from flea beetle with buckwheat's protective canopy and fenugreeks deterring odour, combined with nitrogen-fixing, fast growing berseem clover.

• Suitable for Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI): IPM3
• Deters and protects from flea beetle, fixes nitrogen
• Killed by frost without regrowth
• Best sown 7 days before drilling OSR
• Contains: 50% LIFAGO Buckwheat, 25% TABOR Berseem Clover, 25% Fenugreek
• Sowing Rate: 10kg/ha

Maximum action against flea beetle provided by buckwheat's thick and dense canopy and fenugreek's degterring odour.

• Suitable for Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI): IPM3
• Killed by frost without regrowth
• Best sown 7 days before drilling OSR
• Contains: 70% LIFAGO Buckwheat, 30% Fenugreek
• Sowing Rate: 10kg/ha

Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) produces a natural odour to deter flea beetle from the oilseed rape crop. Very tender to frost and therefore reliably winter-killed.

• Suitable for Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI): IPM3
• Rapid establishment, high vigour
• Produces natural odour to protect the oilseed rape plants
• Sow individually or combine in a mix of other companion species
• Best sown 7 days before drilling oilseed rape
• Sowing rate: c.10kg/ha as a companion crop

LIFAGO buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum) is a different species to conventional buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) - particularly suited to grow as a companion crop with oilseed rape.

• Suitable for Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI): IPM3
• Rapid establishment and high vigour
• Creates a dense canopy to protect the oilseed rape plants
• Smaller seeded and easier to drill with oilseed rape than standard buckwheat
• Scavenges phosphates from the soil for future crops
• Suitable for Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI): IPM3
• Sowing rate: c.10kg/ha as a companion crop

Tabor berseem clover is an annual, nitrogen-fixing legume often used in forage or green manures and as a key variety for companion cropping with oilseed rape.

• Suitable for Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI): IPM3
• The only single-cut berseem clover variety - does not regrow after frost kill
• Compatible in seed mixtures with grass and legumes
• Nitrogen fixing legume with rapid growth and establishment
• Sow from spring to early autumn. Not frost tolerant
• Suitable for Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI): IPM3
• Sowing rate: 15kg/ha.