Since its inception, SEED INNOVATIONS has been known for offering high quality, innovative seed treatment into the New Zealand vegetable market. In 2023, SEED INNOVATIONS branched out into the cover crop space with a collaboration with Norwest seeds and brought to the market SMART RADISH®

Growers nationwide are seeing the benefits of using a specialist cover crop to target an issue, and now Seed Innovations is excited to extend the range of cover crops offered to include specialist seed blends for targeted results. We believe in sowing cover crops with intention.

We have taken a scientific approach and paired with experts in cover crop research to bring to the market specific, tailored seed mixes to help the New Zealand grower maximise the benefits of sowing a cover crop.

We recognise the importance cover crops play in New Zealand horticulture and want to ensure that every grower sowing a cover crop sees the true benefit from their effort.

The information contained in the following brochure highlights two of our main and most popular cover crop mixes, in addition to our stand alone product of SMART RADISH®.

The world of cover crop species is immense. If there is a species you would like to sow as a single-sward option we can happily supply single species with agronomic advice for this. In addition to this, clover mixes can be created for you.

Potato and onion crops are a major player in our New Zealand horticultural industry. These crops draw unique nutrients from the soil, have unique root structure and are treated with what has been traditionally a heavy spray programme. Restoring your soil after these crops requires a tailored approach.

Once we have harvested our onion and potato crops, our aim is to rebuild organic matter, suppress weeds and volunteer Solanaceae, reduce pests (including nematodes), scavenge residual nutrients, and leave a fine seedbed for the following crop.

Our unique RESTORE POTATO AND ONION mix provides bulk rapid soil biomass helping manage soil erosion, smother weeds, contribute nitrogen, mobilize phosphate within the soil and help combat common pests such as clubroot and nemotode.

 With a huge number of vegetable crops belonging to the brassica family, finding a cover crop mix that does not add to your problems can be a challenge – for instance Caliente mustard on heavy soils.

Brassicas throw up a unique set of challenges we need to address in order to get the soil in tip top shape for the following the crop.

When transitioning from brassicas to lettuce or onions we want to use a fast establishing ground cover crop with low residue, quickly decomposing biomass, combined with a legume mix to improve nitrogen (N) availability and soil structure without leaving heavy mulch.

 RESTORE LEAF mix is designed with speed in mind. Due to the quick turn around of salad crops (babyleaf and lettuce) and the nature in which these are harvested, the cover crop needs to be easily removed with zero regrowth while providing the full intended benefits.

The key focus of RESTORE LEAF is on building organic matter, reducing soil-borne disease pressure (ie, fusarium in iceberg crops) and reducing topsoil erosion during periods of high rainfall.

RESTORE LEAF cover crop is easily terminated to ensure zero regrowth in crops that are machine harvested and rely on contamination-free crops.