The results were mixed. We should note that the month of October was one of the driest on record with rainfall below .5 inch in PA and VA experiencing a similar pattern. It’s a pattern that is increasing. For the past 3 consecutive years, rainfall was recorded below average during these months.
Hairy vetch seemed able to withstand these extreme conditions. In VA, by March we saw germination and advanced seedlings in wetter areas and expect that germination to increase through April. Growth stage did not seem to differ between drill seeding and aerially seeding. In one field, hairy vetch was seeded by a grain drill a week earlier than the field we aerial seeded and we could not tell the difference. In PA, the results were less impressive. In all fields very little germinated, if at all.
We seeded all our PA acres in August and early September. Timing is important when aerially seeding but with a changing climate some species that may have done well in the past may no longer be a viable option. Species mix is something we consider often and our thoughts are turning towards creating mixes with higher percentages of rye and vetch. Rye is a quick growing species retaining soil and organic matter and hairy vetch is a drought tolerant species with high nitrogen fixing potential. We are very open to increasing mixes to more than three or five species and will continue to experiment with this.
See photos attached of VA fields with hairy vetch in March 17 and 18, 2025.
