Producers have expressed interest in the best agronomic practices for cultivating spring barley and the use of interseeded cover crops (also known as green manures or living mulches) to increase barley yields and quality. Cover crops grown as living mulches grow with field or row crops to reduce weed pressure, prevent soil erosion, maintain and/or improve soil nutrients, improve soil aggregation, prevent nutrient loss from runoff, and increase water retention. Leguminous living mulches can fix nitrogen and may improve yields and/or quality by adding NO3 to soil. Varietal selection is very important as living mulches can compete with the main crop.