Kura Clover is an interesting option for cover cropping no-till corn producers. Why? Because Kura Clover forms a “living mulch.”
I have been working with Dr. Ken Albrecht from the University of Wisconsin-Madison on Kura Clover since the summer of 2000. During that summer as I traveled through eastern Iowa and NW Illinois I envisioned that before 2005 all of that region would have Kura Clover on it!
That never happened. But I am still very excited about Kura Clover as a feed source and cover crop.
![For Kura Clover to be best utilized on your farm you really need to graze it the first two years and periodically thereafter. Cattle milked similarly on this mixture as what they did on alfalfa!](https://plantcovercrops.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/2008_07162008JuneJuly0357-300x225.jpg)
What’s so great about Kura clover?
Kura clover:
- Produces high yields with little additional nitrogen
- Fixes gobs of nitrogen
- Forms a “living mulch”
- Survives forever – stands last 30+ years
- Makes livestock producers/row crop farmers smile
- Provides diverse options in the field
- Saves cover croppers money – a one time investment in seed
- Controls erosion
- Is easy to work with in corn production
Why hasn’t Kura clover taken over the cover crop/forage world?
- It establishes slowly.
- It requires livestock (cattle or sheep) to be a part of the program for optimal benefit.
- You cannot plant corn into Kura Clover every year.
- You cannot plant soybeans into Kura Clover.
- It must be inoculated with a special inoculant for it to establish/thrive.
- It costs a lot in establishment year.
- There are few producers of Kura clover seed – the biggest is CISCO Seeds.
![This Kura Clover was ready to be sprayed with the second application of glyphosate to burn it back so the corn could take off. This plot yielded over 185 bu/ac the year this photo was taken.](https://plantcovercrops.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/2008_07162008JuneJuly0337-300x225.jpg)
![Corn growing in Kura Clover in Arlington, Wisconsin.](https://plantcovercrops.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Corn-growing-in-Kura-Clover-300x199.jpg)
![Note that this photo (taken in October 2002) shows large ears and a beautiful crop of Kura Clover growing under the canopy.](https://plantcovercrops.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Corn-before-harvest-with-Endura-Kura-Clover-Oct-2002-Lancaster-WI-198x300.jpg)