Integrating Faba Bean (Vicia faba Roth) into Cropping Systems as a Cover Crop, Intercrop, and Late-Season Forage Compared with Other Legume Cover Crops in the Upper Midwest

Abstract

Faba bean (Vicia faba Roth) is grown worldwide as a protein source for food, used for animal feed, and is a common cover crop in Europe, but is underutilized in Midwest farming systems. Faba bean, field pea (Pisum sativum L.), and forage pea were evaluated for biomass and chemical composition when sown after wheat. Faba bean, forage pea, balansa clover (Trifolium michelanium Savi), red clover (T. pratense L.), and rye (Secale cereale L.) were evaluated similarly when intersown into maize. Cover crops after wheat had no significant biomass differences, averaging 1210 kg ha-1, enough to support 1.5 animal unit month (AUM) ha-1 for a 450 kg cow with calf. Rye yielded the greatest (374 kg ha-1) of the intercrops with faba bean averaging similarly and other intercrops averaging significantly less. Intercrops did not affect maize yield. Faba bean has similar potential as other commonly used cover crops in the Midwest.