I appreciate Mike Baise from American Farmland Trust for sending me the document NRCS Cover Crop Termination Guidelines Non-Irrigated Cropland. The document was published June 2013 and should be very helpful to everyone using cover crops.
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“Tracking Phosphorus Fresh from the Farm”
I recently saw a newspaper article “Tracking Phosphorous Fresh from the Farm” written by Spencer Hunt (shunt@dispatch.com) from The Columbus Dispatch Sunday May 26, 2013 9:03 AM and I found it to be a good read. There are great things going on to help farmers do their best to be good stewards of the land and resources.
This excerpt gives the gist of the article:
The study could be key to devising plans to reduce phosphorus runoff from farms. Farm groups, including the Ohio Soybean Council, the Ohio Corn & Wheat Growers Association, and the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, have matched a $1 million USDA grant to fund the effort.
Congratulations to the great folks in Ohio who are making this happen and thanks to the Columbus Dispatch for reporting on this.
Prevented Planting Row Crop Acres – Which Cover Crops Can Help?
The following was originally posted on May 27, 2011 when the Eastern Corn Belt was suffering with severe flooding and wet conditions. In 2013 the Upper Midwest – especially Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin – is flooded and wet. Many farmers are considering taking the crop insurance for prevented planting. Even if it would stop raining – which does not appear will happen anytime soon – many farmers will not be in their fields for two weeks. While locations are different, the recommendations below still apply. Please keep the farmers in the Upper Midwest in your prayers; they need it!
For other options that might include growing cover crops for forages click here.
In 2010 there were wet spots in fields that were never planted, so some ingenious farmers planted cover crops in those spots after they dried out. Now in 2011 there are several entire fields that may not be planted to cash crops at all. I have heard from two friends in Ohio that are working on plans to help northwest Ohio farmers know what to use on their prevented acres.
Maybe this is not an issue where you live. I hope you never have to face a spring like this year in the Eastern Corn Belt, where many producers in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan are struggling to get their crops in the ground. The forecast is for many more days of rain to finish out the month of May.
For prevented planting the cover crops may not be harvested until after November 1st.
So what are the options for planting cover crops in the prevented planted fields? Below I will list the options with a few of their benefits and also some disadvantages.
Oats
Advantages
- Provides erosion control
- Scavenges nitrogen
- Grows a deep and fibrous root mass
- Promotes mycorrhiza growth
- Quick to establish
- Relatively inexpensive
- Can be broadcast and lightly tilled in
- Can be added to other cover crops to add additional value
- Can spray with broadleaf herbicides if necessary to control weeds
Disadvantages
- While they provide cover and decent root growth they do not provide additional nitrogen to the soil (at the most it would be very minimal)
- Best to use seed oats vs. bin run oats for optimum value
- If planting wheat after oats there may be some “grass after grass” issues (I’m not confident this will be a problem and would welcome comments)
Field Peas or Austrian Winter Peas
Advantages
- Can provide 60-120 # nitrogen/acre (excellent if following with wheat in the fall)
- Can be broadcast and lightly tilled in (1″ or deeper)
- Can be added to other cover crops to add additional value (add to oats)
- Can spray with broadleaf herbicides if necessary to control weeds
Disadvantages
- Slower to establish than oats
- More costly than straight oats
- Seed MUST be inoculated at the time of planting
Crimson Clover
Advantages
- Can produce up to 150# N/acre within 100 days (great option if following with fall planted wheat or Winter Barley)
- Fairly quick to establish
- Relatively inexpensive
- Can be broadcast and lightly tilled in (1/4-1/2 inch deep)
- Can be added to other cover crops to add additional value (add oats at 1 bu/acre)
- Can spray with broadleaf herbicides if necessary to control weeds (This article is for seed production in the northwestern part of the USA)
Disadvantages
- More costly than straight oats
- Slower to establish than straight oats
- Seed MUST be inoculated (it may be purchased pre-inoculated)
Cowpea
Advantages
- Can produce 60-150# nitrogen/acre
- Can be broadcast and lightly tilled in (1″ or deeper)
- Can be added to other cover crops to add additional value (add to oats)
- Can spray with broadleaf herbicides if necessary to control weeds
Disadvantages
- Cost and availability of seed
- Slower to establish than oats
- Seed MUST be inoculated
Other crops to consider: Berseem Clover, Fava Beans, and others.
For further information, please read this excellent article by Barry Fisher, NRCS Agronomist from Indiana, who wrote on this very topic in 2009.
Summer Annual Grasses for Cover Crops for Prevented Planting Acres
With an abundance of prevented planting acres in Wisconsin and Minnesota in 2013, there is a need for cover crops to help build soil during the soil’s “idle” time. In this post I’ll mainly focus on summer annual grasses that work well in the Midwest.
These recommendations will focus on whether feed is needed or not. These cannot be harvested until November 1 if crop insurance is taken.
If producers do not take crop insurance then there are other options mentioned below that give greater forage quality and yield. However, many of these products are in very short supply. Please call your local seed supplier to check on availability.
Summer Annual Cover Crops Where No Feed is Needed
I would recommend a non-BMR Sorghum Sudangrass at 10-12#/acre. These should retail at $1.10-1.15/#. This choice is less expensive per acre than most summer annual options. This product is in very, very short supply for 2013.
Other cover crop options include non-BMR Sudangrass, which should be planted at a minimum of 10-20#/acre and will retail for around $1.20/#. Choices here would include Piper and Monarch V, among others. Both of these products are in very short supply for 2013.
I would also consider Hybrid Pearl Millet. Seeding rate will be 7-10#/acre. Hybrid Pearl Millet is in exceptionally short supply for 2013.
Plant each of these options at ½ -1” deep. Apply at least 25-30# of nitrogen per acre so there will be some plant health. There is very low supply on all of these items. Farmers should mow to alleviate seed production. Mow periodically and leave 6-8” tall residual so there will be continued regrowth.
Summer Annual Cover Crops Where Feed is Needed
If the prevented planting acres will be used for forage production, consider the following (with crop insurance taken–harvested after Nov. 1):
Take the options above and increase the seeding rates as shown below:
- non-BMR Sorghum-Sudangrass –35-50#/acre
- non-BMR Sudangrass — 25-30#/acre
- Hybrid Pearl Millet –12-15#/acre
If the prevented planting acres will be used for forage production, consider the following (no crop insurance taken – harvested throughout the summer):
Option #1 for livestock feed I’d recommend BMR Hybrid Sudangrass at 35#/acre. BMR Sudangrass is superior to non-BMR Sudangrass for grazing, animal production, haymaking, ensiling, etc. Plant 35-37#/acre. Retail cost is around $1.75-1.80/#.
This is truly a superior product for dairy, beef, and sheep operations. It is grown on many dairy and beef farms across the Midwest, Upper Midwest, and Mid-Atlantic states. These products are in exceptionally short supply in 2013.
Option #2 is BMR Sorghum X Sudangrass. Many BMR Sorghum X Sudangrass varieties yield well and are very high in quality. It is much more palatable than non-BMR products. IF it is for dairy, plant at 50#/acre. Retail cost is around $1.45-1.50/#. Supply is exceptionally limited in 2013.
Option #3 is Teffgrass. Teffgrass needs to be planted into an alfalfa-like seedbed at 1/8-1/4” deep. Seed it at 10-12#/acre. Retail cost is $3.00-$3.25/#. Supply is fair to good.
Option # 4 is Hybrid Pearl Millet planted at a higher seeding rate. For forage, plant at 12-15#/acre. Hybrid Pearl Millet is in exceptionally short supply for 2013.
See some of these products in OSU trials at:
http://oardc.osu.edu/forage2008/table15.asp and http://oardc.osu.edu/forage2009/table11.asp
Profitability for BMR Sorghum X Sudangrass and BMR Sudangrass products is generally higher than for non-BMR products. For instance, data on BMR Sudangrass has shown a 20% increase in animal production and therefore is considerably more profitable than non-BMR Sudangrass. In a year like this I’d guess that maximizing profit will be important! Be sure to use 75#/N (actual) for these products at planting time. Follow with additional nitrogen after each harvest.
You can e-mail me at dave@plantcovercrops.com for additional recommendations, or for locations of dealers where these products are available, or for other questions.
Mustard as a Cover Crop
This article was originally posted on December 14, 2010.
Benefits of Mustard
Mustards are a good cover crop for a variety of reasons.
One of the main benefits is that they have high levels of glucosinolates. According to Cornell University:
The practice of using mustard cover crops to manage soil-borne pathogens is known as biofumigation. Biofumigation is simply the suppression of various soil-borne pests and diseases through naturally occurring compounds. All brassicas such as cabbage, kale, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, broccoli, mustard, and turnips naturally produce glucosinolates, the compounds that make certain brassicas “hot”. Brassicas sold as cover crops have been identified or specifically developed to contain very high levels of these glucosinolates. The higher the levels of glucosinolates present, the better the biofumigant effect. The process works as so: when plant cells are damaged such as by chopping, glucosinolates are released and come in contact with an enzyme (myrosinase). In the presence of water, the reaction produces the natural gas isothiocyanate (ITC). ITC is responsible for the suppressive effects of the practice. ITC is similar to the active ingredient in Metham Sodium or the conventional fumigant Vapam (a.i. Methyl ITC). In addition to the soil biofumigation benefits, brassica cover crops are ideal for adding organic matter to the soil and improving many soil health related characteristics due to the large quantity of “green” or fresh biomass produced and incorporated into the system.
(http://ccesuffolk.org/managing-soil-borne-pathogens-with-mustard-cover-crop)
Take a look at the interview I did with Kim and Matt Davidson from Mighty Mustard™:
If you’re unable to see the video, simply refresh your browser or click on the link below to watch it on YouTube.
Advantages of mustard as a cover crop:
- Acts as a natural biofumigant
- Generally winterkills (at 26 degrees F)
- Easy to kill with herbicides and tillage
- Provides alleopathic weed control
- Helps “clean up” problem fields where nematodes are a problem
- Hinders the germination/survival of ryegrass and other cover crops…may be used to clean up a problem cover crop ryegrass field
- New varieties are superior to VNS or wild mustard for nematode or weed control/suppression
Disadvantages
- Best to be planted 1-2″ deep
- Must be planted as a monoculture
- Must be killed or tilled in for a minimum of three weeks before planting a subsequent cash crop
- Must have rain or irrigation after tillage/killing to help release glucosinilates
- Needs 5-6 weeks growth for best results
- Must not be used for animal feed
Visit Mighty Mustard for additional information on mustard as a cover crop.