Screening New Legume Species for Use as Cover Crop in Southern Germany

A screening among more than 800 accessions, belonging to more than 100 species was performed in the frame of an international cooperative research program from 2012 to 2016. Aim of the screening was, to identify new species and suitableaccessions, suitable as cover crops and living mulches in Mediterranean, temperate and more continental climates. In this contribution, results obtained in southern Germany are reported, focusing on potential new cover crops. Several new cover crop species could be identified, which were characterized by high biomass production ad weed suppression, as well as by good seed production. Both species and accessions with early and late growth cycle could be identified