Data From: Feed And Forage: Flowering Cover Crops Stack Ecosystem Services To Provide Multiple Benefits For Livestock And Pollinators

In this study, we evaluated three flowering cover crops (winter camelina, buckwheat, and sunflower) for their potential to provision floral resources for pollinators while providing nutritive forage for ruminant livestock. For each cover crop, we measured flowering, insect visitation, visitor types, and forage yield. We modeled potential energy provided to dairy and beef cattle and predicted milk yield of lactating dairy cows fed diets incorporating each crop. Using this data, we identified phenological windows for harvest management when each cover crop had sufficient nutritive value for inclusion in ruminant diets while also maximizing the availability of floral resources for pollinators prior to harvest.

See README_Data.txt for descriptions of the files and additional details about data collection.
Organization: Department of Agriculture
Organization URL: https://catalog.data.gov/organization/usda
Last updated: 2026-04-17
Tags: COVER CROPS, beef, buckwheat, dairy, ecosystem services, livestock forage, pollinators, sunflower, winter camelina