Brassicas variety reviews · 2026.

Daikon (tillage) radish is the gold standard cover crop tap-root species for Corn Belt no-till operations. Penetrating taproots reach 24–36 inches into compacted subsoil layers; winter-killed tops decompose rapidly and release N for the following corn crop. Iowa State, Penn State, and several other land-grants have published trial data on daikon as a cover.

Purple top turnip is the easy-button brassica for Corn Belt food plots — broadcast in late summer (early August in MW-2), establishes fast, and frost-triggered sugar conversion in November consistently turns whitetails onto the plot just as bow season transitions to gun season. Cheap seed cost per acre is a major reason it remains a food plot staple.

Late-summer planted purple top turnips fit the Upper Southeast bow-and-rifle hunting calendar well — frost-driven palatability spike usually arrives during early November, aligning with the rifle opener in much of TN and KY.

Trophy radish is the most widely-deployed forage radish in Corn Belt food plots — fast establishment, heavy summer foliage that deer browse aggressively, and tap roots that improve soil structure as they decompose after winter kill. Strong dual-purpose (food plot + cover crop) value.

Forage radish establishes well in the Mid-Atlantic North late-summer planting window — Pennsylvania, New York, and northern New Jersey hunters use it in brassica blends behind small-grain stubble and corn.

Dwarf Essex Rape is a cool-season brassica that holds up better in cold weather than turnips — winter survival in MN/WI/MI is generally better than purple top, making it a useful late-season component in Northern Corn Belt brassica blends.