Tropical Plant Fights Nematode Pest
May 29, 2013 
Sunn Hemp (Crotalaria juncea), a species unrelated to the marijuana plant sometimes also called hemp, is a tropical plant used in Africa, Asia and South America for animal forage, soil improvement and fiber production. In North America Sunn Hemp is a warm season nitrogen-producing legume that reduces nematode populations and adds organic biomass to improve soil quality when used as a cover crop.
Agricultural seed company Cover Crop Solutions LLC has launched its new Tillage Sunn brand of Sunn Hemp seed, which in recent years has been scarce and expensive due to an imbalance of supply and demand. Tillage Sunn is now widely available, and David Weaver, Cover Crop Solutions CEO, is enthusiastic about the product’s potential benefit for North American farmers.
“Tillage Sunn is our brand name for Sunn Hemp,” he says. “As one of the few warm season legumes on the market, Tillage Sunn is a powerful management tool for growers and farmers with many benefits.”
Planted after crop harvest in most cases, the plant grows rapidly, and within 60 days adds significant nitrogen, up to 120 pounds per acre, sometimes more, plus around 5,000 pounds of biomass. It is also a good alternative for planting “prevent acres,” farmland damaged by flood or drought.
Steve Groff is a partner in the company, as well as a long-time farmer and cover crop innovator. He added, “The problem of nematodes in crops is well-known. In a worst-case scenario they can dramatically reduce yields if left unchecked. USDA research and farmer experience tell us that Sunn Hemp is highly effective at reducing nematode populations.”
The fast growing plant can reach 10 feet or more if planted in late spring. It can be planted anytime after the last average frost date, and up until eight weeks before the first average frost date, allowing for a 60-day growth period. Freezing temperatures kill Tillage Sunn.
Groff added, “Tillage Sunn is an extremely fast grower. If planted immediately after corn silage harvest in South, it will compete vigorously with pigweed, a notorious noxious weed that is difficult to control.”
Tillage Sunn should be terminated at first flower. This achieves maximum benefit and prevents stalks from becoming too fibrous. Some farmers use a roller to form a dense mat of stalks and foliage that protects the soil surface from crusting under rainfall and allows moisture to penetrate the root zone. The mat biodegrades over winter while helping keep soil temperatures moderated. Nitrogen produced during the plant’s growth cycle is released to cash crops that follow.
Other farmers and growers terminate the plant by flail mowing, resulting in a green manure that is then incorporated into the soil while green, prior to planting the next crop.
Tillage Sunn tolerates dry conditions and helps restore soil biology following flood or drought, and it can be planted as a mix along with Tillage Radish and Sorghum Sudan Grass.
For more information, go to TillageSunn.com and CoverCropSolutions.com, or call 800-767-9441.
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