Jonathan Alexander 1 , Jeff Coulter 1 , John Baker 1,2 , and Rodney Venterea 1,2 1 University of Minnesota, 2 USDA-Agricultural Research Service Corn growing in kura clover living mulch. Photo: Jonathon Alexander A living mulch is a cover crop under-seeded into annual crop production. Kura clover is a vegetatively-spreading, nitrogen (N)-fixing, winter-hardy perennial legume native to eastern Europe. Kura clover’s spreading habit gives it the ability to survive harsh agronomic management, which makes it a prime candidate for use as a perennial living mulch. Kura clover’s N-fixing ability and dense mat of roots benefit the producer and the environment by reducing N application requirements, protecting against soil erosion, and capturing excess N in the soil.
