AU Merit
Hairy Vetch
More Forage. More Nitrogen. Early Harvest. Wide Adaptation.
AU Merit is ideal for grazing, hay, and cover crops. It is a proven producer of enormous amounts of forage that is ready early in the year. It is also a massive nitrogen producer and perfect for supporting pollinators and wildlife.
Find a dealerFeatures
Early Maturity
AU Merit is nearly 15 days earlier than most other hairy vetch cultivars. When used as a cover crop, this means more biological N fixation (BNF) potential exists for early spring planted crops.
High Forage Yield
AU Merit’s early maturity also contributes to its high forage production and increase value for early spring grazing.
Abundant Nitrogen
In trials, AU Merit showed up to 175 lbs. of N/acre, exceeding many other legumes.
Vigorous and Adaptive
AU Merit was bred to have good disease resistance, excellent seedling vigor and tolerance to a wide range of soil types.
Attracts Wildlife/Pollinators
AU Merit provides wildlife and pollinators abundant forage and flowers throughout the spring growing season.
Nitrogen Studies
AU Merit was evaluated as part of an extensive cover crop nitrogen study conducted by North Carolina State University in 2008-2010. In this trial, AU Merit showed up to 175 lbs. of N/acre and direct positive grain yield contributions to the following corn crop.
2008 - 2009
North Carolina State
Cover Crop Nitrogen Study
2008-2009
| Cultivar | Piedmont, NC | Tidewater, NC | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biomass (Mg/ha) | Total N (kg/ha) | Biomass (Mg/ha) | Total N (kg/ha) | |||||||||
| Early | Mid | Late | Early | Mid | Late | Early | Mid | Late | Early | Mid | Late | |
| AU Merit HV | 4.2 | 6.0 | 5.5 | 166 | 197 | 190 | 4.1 | 4.6 | 5.6 | 157 | 166 | 179 |
| Dixie Crimson | 5.0 | 5.6 | 5.0 | 134 | 136 | 87 | 3.5 | 4.8 | 3.6 | 82 | 117 | 73 |
| Bigbee Berseem | 2.6 | 4.3 | 5.2 | 73 | 112 | 139 | 0.8 | 1.8 | 3.4 | 26 | 48 | 74 |
| Cereal Rye | 5.0 | 6.4 | 7.1 | 52 | 45 | 42 | 5.4 | 6.7 | 8.3 | 54 | 56 | 53 |
2009 - 2010
North Carolina State
Cover Crop Nitrogen Study
2009-2010
| Cultivar | Caswell, NC | Piedmont, NC | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biomass (Mg/ha) | Total N (kg/ha) | Biomass (Mg/ha) | Total N (kg/ha) | |||||
| Early | Late | Early | Late | Early | Late | Early | Late | |
| AU Merit HV | 4.3 | 5.1 | 107 | 121 | 6.3 | 5.1 | 202 | 141 |
| Dixie Crimson | 3.6 | 2.4 | 62 | 34 | 5.9 | 5.7 | 138 | 90 |
| Bigbee Berseem | 2.4 | 1.8 | 42 | 43 | 6.3 | 7.7 | 155 | 169 |
| Aus Winter Pea | 3.2 | 3.6 | 77 | 91 | 6.2 | 4.7 | 208 | 128 |
| AU Merit + Wrens Abruzzi | 4.1 | 6.2 | 92 | 152 | 8.4 | 9.7 | 212 | 217 |
| Cereal Rye | 1.8 | 2.6 | 12 | 21 | 12.6 | 8.3 | 69 | 37 |
2008 - 2010
North Carolina State
Cover Crop Nitrogen Study
2008-2010
| Tidewater 2009 | Piedmont 2009 | Caswell 2010 | Piedmont 2010 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corn Planting date* | 4/16 | 4/29 | 5/13 | 4/23 | 5/8 | 5/21 | 4/23 | 5/6 | 4/28 | 5/28 |
| N Fertilized corn @112 kg/ha (check) | 7.2 | 11.7 | 8.8 | 9.6 | 9.3 | 7.3 | 2.9 | 2.3 | 5.5 | 6.4 |
| AU Merit HV | 1.0 | 3.6 | 7.8 | 5.3 | 7.0 | 8.4 | 0.9 | 1.9 | 3.4 | 3.1 |
| Dixie Crimson | 4.8 | 4.2 | 5.5 | 3.8 | 5.0 | 3.5 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 2.1 | 1.8 |
| Bigbee Berseem | 0.8 | 0.7 | 2.3 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 4.3 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 2.2 | 5.0 |
| Aus Winter pea | - | - | - | 3.1 | 5.3 | 5.0 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 3.1 | 2.0 |
| AU Meri + Wrens Abruzzi | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | 1.0 | 5.4 | 5.1 |
| *Grain Yields of Corn planted into roll-killed cover crop residue. | ||||||||||
North Carolina State
Cover Crop Nitrogen Study (Ndfa*)
2008-2010
| Cultivar | Piedmont 2009 | Tidewater 2009 | Caswell 2010 | Caswell 2010 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ndfa (%) | Total N (Kg/ha) | Ndfa(%) | Total N (Kg/ha) | Ndfa(%) | Total N (Kg/ha) | Nfga(%) | Total N (Kg/ha) | |
| AU Merit HV | 100±10 | 174±25 | 87±20 | 152±14 | 97±3 | 109±9 | 83±3 | 135±14 |
| Dixie Crimson | 85±13 | 101±30 | 71±20 | 73±20 | 97±4 | 62±13 | 88±5 | 119±21 |
| Bigbee Berseem | 100±13 | 139±30 | 96±15 | 73±20 | 100±3 | 42±10 | 94±3 | 151±13 |
| Aus Winter Pea | 71±10 | 69±25 | - | - | 87±3 | 80±9 | 79±3 | 130±13 |
| AU Merit + Wrens Abruzzi | - | - | - | - | 88±3 | 117±9 | 80±3 | 174±13 |
| *Nitrogen Derived from the Atmosphere (Ndfa) | ||||||||
Yield Data
AU Merit has shown its ability to produce abundant forage (12% or greater than many other varieties) and flower earlier. While AU Merit has been tested and used in numerous locations, data from Alabama, Louisiana, and Texas are worth noting.
Alabama
AU Merit has shown significant yields performance in multiple locations with yields exceeding other varieties by 11-22%.
Louisiana
AU Merit was planted on the LSU Winnsboro research farm. The trial was initially planted in late October. Due to extreme droughty conditions, it was replicated with another planting 25 days later at the end of November. The results shown in these data sets would indicate that AU Merit should perform well planted both early and late. Yield performance exceeded other varieties by up to 40%
Texas
AU Merit outperformed other varieties up to 42% and showed very good regrowth in a double cutting. This trial also evaluated AU Merit with Nitro-Coat® and indicated an 18% boost in total dry matter with the Nitro-Coated® entry.
Alabama
Auburn University
Forage Yields (Total DM/A)
1997-1998
| Variety | Tallassee | Belle Mina | Brewton | Ave | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AU Merit | 2244 | 1191 | 2096 | 1844 | 112 |
| Common | 2184 | 1245 | 1495 | 1641 | 100 |
| AU EarlyCover | 1693 | 859 | 2087 | 1547 | 94 |
| Americus | 2164 | 550 | 1691 | 1468 | 90 |
| Lsd | Ns | 501 | 400 | – | – |
| Plants cut around April 1. | |||||
Louisiana
Louisiana State University
Forage Evaluation (Total DM/A)
Winnsboro, LA
|2017-2018
| Planted Oct. 26. Harvested March 27. | Planted Nov. 21. Harvested May 1. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry | Yield (Total DM/A) | Entry | Yield (Total DM/A) |
| AU Merit | 1531 | Naomi Wooly Pod | 1554 |
| WinterKing | 1141 | AU Merit | 1412 |
| Naomi Wooly Pod | 1108 | Villana | 1127 |
| Common Vetch | 1068 | Oregon Origin | 1008 |
| Villana | 958 | Common Vetch | 983 |
| Oregon Origin | 931 | WinterKing | 954 |
| LSD (.1) | 221 | LSD (.1) | 486 |
| CV% | 14 | CV% | 26 |
Texas
Texas A&M
Winter Forage Variety Trials (Total DM/A)
Luling, TX
|2018
| Variety | April 1 | April 30 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| AU Merit Nitro-Coated® HV | 3340 | 2904 | 6244 |
| AU Merit HV | 2759 | 2904 | 5663 |
| Villata HV | 2468 | 2468 | 4937 |
| VNS (variety not stated) | 3920 | 871 | 4792 |
| Common vetch | 1307 | 2323 | 3630 |
| Naomi Wooly Pod | 1452 | 2178 | 3630 |
| HV = Hairy Vetch | |||
| Planted November 7, 2017. | |||
| No fertilizer was applied. | |||
Cover Crop Performance
In the October of 2019, researchers with the University of Tennessee planted extensive cover crop trials in three Tennessee locations – Knoxville, Spring Hill, and Milan. In addition to assessments of nitrogen content and release, assessment were conducted for ground cover, biomass and height. The data below reflects averages of all three sites. Site-specific data and complete results available upon request.
University of Tennessee
Biomass, Canopy Cover, and Height
Three Location Average
|2019-2020
| Variety | Biomass (Tons DM/A) | Canopy Cover (%) | Height (in) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April | May | Nov | Feb | Nov | Feb | April | May | |
| AU Merit Hairy Vetch | 1.2 | 2.3 | 7 | 75 | 4 | 6 | 14 | 23 |
| Patagonia Inta Hairy Vetch | 1.0 | 1.9 | 5 | 71 | 4 | 5 | 14 | 23 |
| Purple Bounty Hairy Vetch | 0.8 | 1.9 | 3 | 50 | 4 | 3 | 16 | 26 |
| Namoi Woolypod Vetch | 1.4 | 1.8 | 3 | 68 | 4 | 9 | 15 | 25 |
| WinterKing Hairy Vetch | 1.2 | 1.8 | 3 | 53 | 4 | 4 | 16 | 24 |
| Villana Hairy Vetch | 0.7 | 1.6 | 2 | 40 | 4 | 4 | 14 | 25 |
| Common Vetch | 1.0 | 3.0 | 3 | 45 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 18 |
| See complete trial here. | ||||||||
University of Tennessee
Nitrogen Content/Estimated Nitrogen Release
Three Location Average
|2019-2020
| Variety | Biomass (Tons DM/A) | Total Nitrogen (%) | Est. N Released: April Termination (lbs/ac) | Est. N Released: May Termination (lbs/ac) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April | May | April | May | 2 wks. | 4 wks. | 12 wks | 2 wks. | 4 wks. | 12 wks | |
| AU Merit Hairy Vetch | 1.2 | 2.3 | 4.1 | 3.9 | 3.0 | 7.0 | 44.3 | 5.3 | 12.3 | 91.7 |
| Common Vetch | 0.6 | 2.2 | 3.3 | 2.7 | 1.3 | 3.0 | 18.7 | 4.0 | 9.0 | 70.0 |
| Patagonia Inta | 1.0 | 1.9 | 4.0 | 3.5 | 2.3 | 6.3 | 37.0 | 3.7 | 8.3 | 62.7 |
| Villana Hairy Vetch | 0.7 | 1.6 | 3.8 | 3.5 | 1.7 | 4.0 | 25.3 | 3.3 | 8.3 | 61.7 |
| WinterKing Hairy Vetch | 1.2 | 1.8 | 3.9 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 6.3 | 40.0 | 3.7 | 8.3 | 61.7 |
| Purple Bounty Hairy Vetch | 0.8 | 1.9 | 4.0 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 4.3 | 29.0 | 3.0 | 7.3 | 53.3 |
| Namoi Woolypod Vetch | 0.8 | 1.5 | 3.8 | 3.3 | 1.7 | 4.0 | 27.0 | 2.7 | 6.0 | 46.0 |
| See complete trial here. | ||||||||||
Winter Hardiness
During the 2018-19 cover crop season, a large number of cover crop species were trialed in South Charleston, OH. AU Merit shared the top spot for least winter injury.
Ohio State University
Cover Crop Trial
South Charleston, OH
|Sown 9/20/18
| Variety | Species | Winter Injury |
|---|---|---|
| LowBoy | Annual Ryegrass | 1.5 |
| AU Merit | Hairy Vetch | 1.8 |
| Viper | Balansa Clover | 1.8 |
| KO14-WEMA | Annual Ryegrass | 1.8 |
| KO14-WLS | Annual Ryegrass | 1.8 |
| DX II | Clover - Crimson | 1.8 |
| FrostProof | Annual Ryegrass | 2.0 |
| Winterhawk | Annual Ryegrass | 2.0 |
| KOKI-WEAR | Annual Ryegrass | 2.0 |
| KO14-WM | Annual Ryegrass | 2.0 |
| B-18.1793 | Annual Ryegrass | 2.3 |
| Villana | Hairy Vetch | 2.3 |
| LSC-BIIal | Annual Ryegrass | 2.5 |
| Taipan | Balansa Clover | 2.5 |
| SECCM18 | Berseem clover | 2.8 |
| White Cloud | Crimson Clover | 2.8 |
| SECCB18 | Berseem clover | 3.0 |
| Pro 158-7204 | Winter Pea | 4.0 |
| Double O | Winter Pea | 5.0 |
| Icicle | Winter Pea | 5.0 |
| Pro 168-6206 | Winter Pea | 5.0 |
| Daikon | Radish | 5.0 |
| LSD P=.05 | 1.1 | |
| Winter Injury is reported on a 1 - 5 scale. 1 = little to no injury 5 = severe injury - death of plants | ||
AU Merit Gallery
Planting
AU Merit hairy vetch can be seeded at a rate of 10-40 lbs/acre depending on the mix or purpose. For best results, plant 3-6 weeks prior to the average first killing frost. Ideal seeding depth: ½–1½".
| Roll kill, selective or non-selective herbicide allows for no-till seeding into terminated stand. | Termination |
|---|---|
| ½–1½" | Planting Depth |
| green | Planting Zones (map) |
| 3-6 weeks prior to the average first killing frost | Planting Dates |
| 15–20 lbs/ac | Seeding Rate - In a Mix (Broadcast) |
| 25–40 lbs/ac | Seeding Rate - Pure Stand (Broadcast) |
| 10–15 lbs/ac | Seeding Rate - In a Mix (Drilled) |
| 15–20 lbs/ac | Seeding Rate - Pure Stand (Drilled) |
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