Brought to you by Limagrain
Growing a rest crop by 2026 at the latest: the options
Since 2023, a rest crop must be grown once every four years on all plots of sandy or loess soil. On plots where this has not yet happened, you must therefore grow a rest crop in 2025 or 2026. Which crops provide a practical and profitable solution? You can read about it in this article.
"For livestock farmers and arable farmers on sandy and loess soil, this measure has a major impact," says crop specialist Patrick Boosten. "For example, livestock farmers with land at a distance often grow corn, potatoes or beets there. Not growing a rest crop is not an option, because then you have to pay back CAP premiums retroactively and you risk high fines."
Sowing a rest crop in 2025? These are our tips. The complete list of rest crops can be found at rvo.nl
Summer grain: little input required
If you are looking for a rest crop that requires little input and processing, you will quickly end up with grain. As soon as the soil allows it in early spring, you can sow spring wheat. If you are unable to sow early, spring barley is a better option. An advantage of spring grain is that you can drive liquid manure on it in the spring, as soon as the plants are firmly established.
The cultivation costs of spring wheat are somewhat higher than for spring barley. Spring barley also prefers drought-sensitive soils. The balance of spring grain is limited, so it is important to control your cultivation costs. Therefore, sow varieties with strong disease resistance and a high harvest security and yield potential: wpb Duncan spring wheat en LG Flamenco Summer Barley.
Tips for successful cultivation of summer grains:
- Sow spring wheat in early spring as soon as soil conditions permit, 150 – 175 kg/ha depending on DKG and expected emergence percentage
- Sow spring barley from early March, 120 – 150 kg/ha depending on DKG and expected emergence percentage
- Only cultivate the soil if it has sufficient bearing capacity: prevent structural damage
- Liquid manure possible, when the plants are sufficiently developed
- The N standard in NV areas is 112 kg for spring wheat and 64 kg for spring barley
- Monitor the crop and implement crop protection in a timely manner in consultation with your cultivation advisor
Summer field beans: increase CAP premium
A crop that requires more attention and potentially yields more profit is that of summer field beans. The area of summer field beans has grown considerably in recent years. The beans are very suitable as concentrated feed for cattle and there are plenty of sales opportunities. The profit is attractive when you list summer field beans as an eco-activity.nitrogen-fixing crop' in the CAP and you will thus receive a higher hectare premium. Field beans also have value in the context of the crop plan: they bind a lot of N from the air and supply some of it to the next crop, leave a very nice soil structure and expand the rotation.
Read all about field beans in our whitepaper >
Yellow peas: short cultivation with few risks
In our country, not many yellow peas grow yet, but that may change. There are more and more sales opportunities, for example to Emsland Group in Germany. It is also a suitable concentrate for cattle, rich in protein and starch. And just like field beans, peas count as eco-activity and thus provide extra hectare premium.
Yellow peas have a short growing season and are ready for harvest from the end of July. This offers ample opportunities for a successful follow-up crop. Peas require little input of nitrogen, crop protection and water and usually also produce a good yield on lighter soils. Sow yellow peas from mid-February to mid-April, 160 – 180 kg/ha at a depth of 4 – 5 cm. The varieties Tiberius en LG Corvet have a yield potential of 4 to 6 tons of grain per hectare.
Cultivation specialist Ludwig about yellow peas:
Temporary grassland: a boost for the soil
For livestock farmers who can use the grass, it is temporary grassland as a rest crop a trusted option. For arable farmers who can find a destination for grass, temporary grassland is also interesting. Grass provides a lot of organic matter and promotes soil life. Sow a special mixture for temporary grass, possibly in combination with clovers for the highest yield, such as LG Havera 2 or the new one Havera 8.
Harvest corn before September 1
silage maize chopping before 1 September and then growing a green manure also counts as a rest crop. When using an ultra-early variety on light, warm soil, this may be successful. Provided the weather cooperates, of course. The risk of this option is that the maize is not yet sufficiently ripe by the end of August.
Rest crop in 2026
If you plan the rest crop in 2026, you can choose a winter crop as the main crop:
- winter barley provides the highest harvest reliability on light soil, still has relatively ample N space (112 kg) and is harvested early.
- Winter rapeseed can produce a good balance, has relatively ample N space (122 kg) and breaks the build-up of wireworms in the soil
- winter field beans deliver many CAP points and deliver many N after
Read more about these three rest crops here >
New: overview with map layer in My RVO
It can be quite a puzzle to meet the rest crop obligation, especially for lease and rental plots. That is why a map layer has been added to My RVO that indicates whether a rest crop has already been grown. Look in your RVO environment at My Plots.
Information in this article is subject to changes at RVO, no rights can be derived from this information. For all rules and conditions, see rvo.nl
