Interseeding Red Clover (Trifulium pratense L.) in Spring Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) for a Winter Cover Crop.

Establishing effective winter cover crops in a cereal grain rotation in the Upper Snake River Valley, Idaho is difficult due to a short growing season. Interseeding red clover into spring barley may be an effective method for a cover crop to establish and become developed before winter. The growing season in the target area is relatively short and restricts the ability to produce a cereal grain and establish a cover crop before the effective growing season is ended. The lack of cover crops leave fields susceptible to wind erosion, weed invasion, and inhibits the opportunity to incorporate a nutrient rich cover crop back into the soil. The main objectives of this experiment are to: 1) determine idea nitrogen (N) fertilizer rates for barley when intercropped with red clover, 2) observe impacts on yield and quality of barley when interseeded with red clover, 3) determine red clover yield in the fall, 4) analyze soil nitrate nitrogen concentration in the spring, 5) record weed densities and pressure. A new system of cropping in a short growing season region can be developed by evaluating how well the interseed crops co-establish, the total production and quality at harvest (barley), and nutrient additions (red clover).