Cover crops after sunflower: 4 working mixes
What to drill in autumn after sunflower so you don't lose moisture and bring the field back to working condition before spring corn or soy.
By Тарас Боднар
березень 18, 2026
5 min read
Sunflower is the most exhausting previous crop: −40–60 kg/ha nitrogen and −20% available moisture. A cover crop recovers 60–80% of that.
Working mixes 1. Mustard + phacelia (10+5 kg/ha) — quick start, phyto-sanitation 2. Winter rye + vetch (60+30 kg/ha) — N fixation, erosion control 3. Oilseed radish + oats (8+50 kg/ha) — deep root, breaks pan layer 4. Annual clover (12 kg/ha) — best on poor fields
Cost 800–1600 UAH/ha seed + drilling = ~2200–3500 UAH/ha. Pays back via reduced N fertiliser on the following crop.
#cover-crop
#sunflower
#rotation