Buckwheat

Buckwheat is a great addition to a cover crop mix. It has root exudates that make soil phosphorus more available for subsequent crops and has been shown to build soil structure. It flowers within six weeks of planting, attracting many pollinators and beneficial insects. Flowers lead to seed production, which will occur throughout the summer. Buckwheat contamination has been found in a wheat shipment to Japan and in order to maintain the market NRCS has recommended buckwheat not be grown in a field two years prior to wheat production. As a broadleaf, controlling buckwheat in a small grain can be done with herbicides (Bromoxynil, dicamba, Curtail M, and harmony, A687 NDSU).