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Learning about the benefits of planting cover crops.

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Seed Selection: What to Plant After...

Sep 12 2013

Badger Plot Cover Crop Research Site – Producer Day Schedule Announced

Join me with Wisconsin NRCS at the Badger Plot Cover Crop Research Site on October 2, 2013 @ Jeff and Jerry Kreuziger Farms near Clyman, WI.  Sessions will run from 9:30-Noon or 1:00-3:30 CST.  This looks to be a great day to learn more about cover crops and soil health in southern Wisconsin/northern Illinois regions.

 

For more information see Badger Plot Research-Producer Day.

Damon Reabe from Reabe Spraying Services - Waupun, WI plays a big role in applying cover crops in SE WI.  Damon provided this photo.
Damon Reabe from Reabe Spraying Services – Waupun, WI plays a big role in applying cover crops in SE WI. Damon provided this photo.

 

Written by Dave Robison · Categorized: Cover Crop Benefits, Cover Crop Meetings, Cover Crop Plots, Cover Crop Research, Cover Crops in the Northland, Education, Establishing in dry conditions, Field Days, Seed Selection: What to Plant After..., Wheat · Tagged: cover crop field days, cover crop research, cover crops, Cover Crops in Wisconsin, EarthBuilder Cover Crops, Legacy Seeds, U-W Extension, Wisconsin NRCS

Oct 25 2012

Cover Crops and Bears?

Radishes, Crimson Clover, and Bears

Walking in cover crop fields in northern Indiana is easy compared to doing it northern Wisconsin.

In northern Indiana my main issue is tripping over large radish tubers sticking out of the ground.

In northern Wisconsin my main issue was that plus watching out for bears. I’m not talking about the Chicago Bears…but real live black bears!  Although I did not see any while conducting cover crop field days near Coleman, WI on October 18, 2012, hearing the stories about the bears raising havoc while AgVentures Co-op employees were harvesting corn plots made me quite nervous.

The cover crop plot was fabulous. There were 5 different mixes to observe plus straight radishes planted at 8#/acre.  The cooperator plans on taking yield tests over each different cover crop mix in his 2013 corn crop.  If he is able to do that I’ll keep you informed of the results.

This cover crop plot near Coleman, WI had beautiful radishes with large tubers – and thankfully NO bears!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The radishes were from 1″ to 3″ in diameter and quite deeply rooted. There was manure applied after wheat harvest so the radishes were “well fed”.

 

 

 

Written by Dave Robison · Categorized: Breaking Up Compaction, Cover Crop Benefits, Cover Crop Plots, Cover Crops in Wisconsin, Seed Selection: What to Plant After..., Wheat · Tagged: black bears, cover crop mixes, cover crop plots, cover crops, Cover Crops in Wisconsin, Radishes

Oct 07 2012

Cover Cropping North of I-80 After Corn & Soybeans – A Whole New World?

There is a lot of Iowa and Minnesota and Wisconsin above I-80. Is this all part of the “no cover crops works here after corn and soybeans” zone? Maybe not!

Sarah Carlson from Practical Farmers of Iowa reminded me that cover cropping north of I-80 is different than cover cropping in northern Indiana.  She’s right.  But how different is it, and why is it different?

Sarah is quoted in a very good article in Corn and Soybean Digest that helps explain the differences.

Several farmers in Wisconsin and northern Illinois are having cover crops aerial applied with good success. But I agree with Sarah; there are still challenges.

Cover Crop Challenges in the North

This field of Annual Ryegrass is in SE Wisconsin and was aerial applied into standing corn in the fall of 2011 with great success.

I see the following challenges to using cover crops North of I-80 after corn and soybeans:

  • Shorter growing season after corn and soybean harvest
  • The use of “full season” (for the region) soybean varieties and corn hybrids to maximize yield potential
  • Fear using winter cereal rye (their best option after corn and beans) because of potential risks
  • Fewer choices for cover crop species to use
  • Harsh winters and less snowfall to protect smaller cover crop plants

Cover Crop Opportunities in the North

  • More aerial applicators successfully flying on cover crops into standing corn and soybeans
  • Improved yields following winter cereal rye, a crop that can be planted late
  • High yields and profit with shorter season corn allowing timely application of cover crops
  • Annual Ryegrass is working well in southern Wisconsin and southern Michigan and there are many positive results from using it.
  • Dixie Crimson Clover has a good history of surviving the winter even in mid-Michigan and southern Wisconsin.
  • Late planted Austrian Winter Peas are overwintering as far north as the top of the Thumb of Michigan.
  • Winter Barley (winter hardy varieties) is surviving well in southern to mid-Wisconsin and in southern Minnesota and used for a cover crop or haylage before planting corn silage.

While not every producer North of I-80 will have success with cover crops after corn and soybeans, there are a number now that are happy with their results.

My message is to use wisdom and best management practices.

IF you want to try cover crops after corn and soybeans and you are north of I-80, realize that you are not the first person to try it.  Many have gone before you with good results.

Don’t give up before you investigate the possibilities.

Now, if you are north of I-90…

Written by Dave Robison · Categorized: Corn, Cover Crop Challenges, Cover Crops in the Northland, Cover Crops in Wisconsin, Soybeans · Tagged: Austrian Winter Peas, Corn and Soybean Digest, cover crops, cover crops north of I-80, flying cover crops into corn, Practical farmers of Iowa, timing of planting cover crops, Winter Barley, Winter Cereal Rye

Jun 09 2012

More Cover Crop Selection Tools Available

The Midwest Cover Crop Council (MCCC) has added different states and cropping systems to their useful cover crop selection tool.  This tool is a very helpful item that assists producers in choosing what cover crops can be used in their counties with their cropping systems and their choice of cover crop characteristics.

Most recently Michigan  State and the MCCC released a tool to help vegetable producers determine what cover crops will work best in their systems and for the attributes they desire.  As I understand it, there will soon be a similar tool for Wisconsin vegetable farmers.

The cover crop selector tool can be invaluable for producers wanting to make wise decisions in choosing the correct cover crops for their area.

Wisconsin row crop farmers do have a cover crop selector tool that has been added within the past few months.

If you are looking for an additional way to check out different cover crop species then click here.  And you can check on most of the common species used for cover crops in the Midwest by checking out the many blog posts on www.plantcovercrops.com.

Written by Dave Robison · Categorized: Decision Making Tool, Education, Seed Selection: What to Plant After... · Tagged: cover crop selector tool, cover crops, Midwest Cover Crop Council, vegetable production

Nov 21 2011

The Importance of Sunshine in Cover Crop Establishment

On October 18, 2011 the cover crops are looking quite different in one section of the field than the other...the main reasons? The maturity of the soybean variety planted and row width.

In previous posts I have shared about the importance of applying cover crops at the correct time.  I also looked at the difference in how cover crops emerged in corn and soybean fields when aerial applied in the fall of 2011.  In the past several weeks I have traveled over much of Indiana and northwestern Ohio looking at aerial applied cover crops.

Four things I have noticed so far:

1) Aerial applicators seem to be doing a much better job in 2011 than in years past.

2) Correct timing of aerial application into cash crops is vital (that the crops are mature enough for cover crop success).

3) Corn and soybean variety maturity differences can change “success” rates.

4) It appears that row spacing in soybeans makes a big difference, especially in establishing crimson clover.

I was in a soybean field in Jasper County, IN, with Dan Perkins, SWCD Watershed and Conservation Program Specialist. It looked as though about one-half of the field had been harvested a week or so earlier than the other half because the cover crops were considerably taller and more dense in the earlier bean maturity area than in the later bean maturity part of the field.

But I was wrong about the harvest date…there was only 1 day harvest difference between the two areas.  One difference was the genetic maturity of the varieties of soybeans.  One variety was a 3.0 maturity and the other was a 3.4 maturity. Incidentally, the farmer reported that the two varieties yielded virtually the same.

Another key observation was made with differences in row spacing, particularly with crimson clover.  In the 15″ and 30″ rows the crimson clover looked very good with an even stand and good growth. But in the fields with 7″ rows the stand did not look quite as good. In fact, in some fields with 7″ rows, the crimson clover was hard to find.  The annual ryegrass and the cover crop radishes had a better stand than the crimson clover in the 7″ spaced rows, yet even they had considerably less growth than in the wider spaced rows.

Why does this matter?  It matters because P-H-O-T-O-S-Y-N-T-H-E-S-I-S matters.

In many eastern corn belt soybean fields that the cover crops were aerial applied in are quite varied this year.  Overall there has been very good moisture and adequate time for the cover crops to germinate and grow, but the rate of growth has varied considerably based on how mature the soybeans were at planting date. While the soybeans have been off for over a month as of this posting you can look at the photo taken on November 22 and still see a difference in cover crop “coverage” and growth.

The stands have been good over all but the amount of growth from that stand seems to vary a bit more than in past years.

The take-home message is that we need to make sure that crops are mature enough when applying cover crops.  And if planting into fields with 7″ rows, maybe wait until 75% leaf yellowing to assure more sunlight hitting the ground when the seed is germinating.  Sunlight really is important…just like my 9th grade biology teacher said it was.

This photo, taken November 22, 2011, shows cover crops flown into corn, a 3.4 maturity soybean that was drilled in 7" rows (center), and a 3.0 maturity soybean planted in 30" rows (top). The same cover crop was flown into all three sections on the same passes of the plane. The difference...Sunlight getting to the soil.

 

Written by Dave Robison · Categorized: Aerial Application, Cover Crop Challenges, Soybeans · Tagged: aerial application of cover crops, cover crops, effect of sunlight on cover crops, flying cover crops into beans, flying cover crops into corn, timing of planting cover crops

Sep 28 2011

Cover Crop Cereal Rye: Is there a (bad) connection with Goss’s Wilt in corn?

Goss's Wilt is becoming quite a problem in the US Corn Belt.

Cover crop cereal rye has been getting some “bad press” over the past month. It has been suggested that there is a connection with cover crop rye and Goss’s Wilt in corn (cereal rye making the Goss’s Wilt disease worse in corn).

I have talked to a few agronomists who had never heard of cover crop rye being a host for Goss’s Wilt, so I did my normal Google search to see what I could find out.

Some corn hybrids ARE susceptible to Goss’s Wilt. Some have greater levels of resistance.  Here is a publication from The University of Nebraska that shows the severity of Goss’s Wilt.  This disease is a real problem in the Corn Belt and there are many frustrated farmers that have Goss’s Wilt on their corn.

I also discovered that cereal rye is more of a deterrent to Goss’s Wilt, rather than a “cause.”  By using cereal grains in between corn crops the Goss’s Wilt bacterium population is greatly reduced.  Cereal rye is actually an excellent choice for a cover crop to help reduce the risk of Goss’s Wilt.

To reduce Goss’s Wilt it would be wise to consider the following steps:

  • use resistant corn hybrids
  • use a cover crop between continuous corn crops
  • control foxtail, barnyardgrass, shattercane, and other known hosts
  • rotate to soybeans, dry beans, alfalfa, small grains, or other non-host crops

For an excellent article on this topic by Sarah Carlson at Practical Farmers of Iowa, click here. You can reach Sarah at sarah@practicalfarmers.org

 

 

 

 

Written by Dave Robison · Categorized: Corn, Cover Crop Benefits, Misinformation and Myths, Winter Cereal Rye · Tagged: cereal rye, corn, cover crops, disease supression, Goss's Wilt, Winter Cereal Rye

Sep 06 2011

Farmer Report from Ohio – Planting into “Out of Control” Peas

The cover crop radishes varied in size with the amount of moisture in the field in the fall of 2010.

My good friend David from Mercer County, Ohio is a great cover crop advocate.  Over the past few years he and his father-in-law have begun planting cover crops after their wheat crop is harvested.  The first year he planted oats and cover crop radish and this past year they planted a mixture called N-Vest® Groundbreaker Mix (a mixture of Austrian winter peas and cover crop radishes).  The summer of 2010 set some records for being exceptionally dry.  Neither the peas nor radish grew the way anyone hoped for, but David did find radish roots around 20 inches deep.  The peas were less than spectacular but still acceptable for as dry as it was.

No-tilling corn into this mix of peas and wheat looked like an easy task in early May when this photograph was taken...but the rains kept coming!
This is not what was expected! Early June 2011 was wet and the peas were tall.

As I have reported in several previous posts, the weather in NW Ohio and the Eastern Corn Belt was the wettest in 120 plus years of keeping records.  The Austrian winter peas and volunteer wheat over-wintered.  In early May David was convinced that they would no-till directly into that “mix.”  But the rain came and came often! By early June the peas had grown quite a bit, like up to four feet tall…and that is what they no-tilled into.  Actually, David said it was the “most mellow soil” he planted into all spring.

Just a few days after planting David sent me the photos of a beautiful stand of corn where the peas had been over 4 feet tall.
Three weeks after planting the corn looked great and the cover crop was dead. This photo was taken June 21, 2011.

I joke that David was nearly written out of the family will when he started no-till planting his corn!  The neighbors were all watching but David persevered and kept planting…even though it was not as easy or as early as he hoped it would be.  A few days later David e-mailed me more photos…and then a week later more photos…

Exactly four weeks after planting and the corn looks remarkable.

So now the neighbors are wondering about this David “kid” that married into this operation.  Maybe he is not as foolish as they thought earlier in the spring!  Exactly four weeks after planting the corn was over “knee high by the 4th of July” and now the neighbors are asking what that cover crop was!

In mid-July, six weeks after planting and the weather has been HOT and dry...but according to David, the field "shows less stress" than conventionally tilled field that had no cover crops.

But the dry summer of 2010 was now being duplicated by another dry summer and the summer of 2011 has been much hotter than 2010.  So how has the no-till corn fared during these challenging conditions? Very well, actually.

There was less than 2" of rain in a very hot July and yet the field looks quite good considering the heat and dryness that it has experienced.

So will David plant cover crops again?  Yes!  In fact they are already in the ground and waiting for rain to emerge.  David has been very excited all the way through this process as he has been confident he is doing the right thing for his soil and the future of his farming operation.  Thanks to David for providing the photos and information to encourage all of us that cover crops are an exciting option that we should all consider.

Written by Dave Robison · Categorized: Austrian Winter Peas, Cover Crop Benefits, Cover Crop Challenges, Delayed Spring Planting, Planting into Tall Austrian Winter Peas, Seed Selection: What to Plant After..., Stand Establishment Following Cover Crops, Types of Cover Crops, Wheat, Winterhardiness · Tagged: Austrian Winter Peas, Cover Crop Benefits, cover crop radishes, cover crops, no-tilling into winter peas

Mar 03 2011

Medium Red Clover as a cover crop

Medium Red Clover frost seeded into wheat provides good nitrogen production and excellent forage/green manure.

Frost seeding clover into wheat has been a standard practice for many years.  Many producers have used “60/40 Plowdown Clover” in their wheat…but in many areas that practice has stopped as double crop soybean plantings have pushed further into northern Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois.  If double crop soybeans are not an option (or not desired) then a great choice for a cover crop in 2011 is Medium Red Clover.  While the 60/40 Mixture generally included 60% Mammoth Red Clover and 40% Yellow Blossom Sweetclover it seems more economical to use VNS Medium Red Clover because of the pricing of the seed this winter.  Be sure to use a pre-inoculated seed when sowing into your wheat so you get much improved clover production and N production.

Below are the advantages and disadvantages of using Medium Red Clover as a cover crop.  (This cover crop will pretty much be used in wheat acres.)

Advantages:

Advantages

  • Produces 75-100# N
  • Good root system-soil builder
  • Easy to frost seed into wheat
  • Often least cost cover crop
  • Easily killed
  • Excellent for forage

Disadvantages:

  • May get too tall in wheat and affect harvest

Written by Dave Robison · Categorized: Nitrogen from Cover Crops, Red Clover, Soil Improvement, Wheat

Aug 23 2010

Radish planted with wheat (at seeding time) adds yield? There are a bunch of farmers saying “yes, it does!”

While in northwest Ohio in the Fall of 2010 for a manure management field day, some area farmers told me that wheat producers are adding 2-4# of cover crop radishes per acre to the wheat in the drill…and experiencing excellent results.

Some reported gaining 5-7 bushels per acre by adding the radishes.  Others even reduced their nitrogen application by 20% and still got a 5 bu/acre increase where the radishes were planted with the wheat versus where there were no radishes.  

 As one gentleman said, “It is like having a bunch of ‘french wells’ in the field.”  The ground dries faster, the radishes scavenge N and hold it until spring…then slowly release the N to the wheat crop in the spring…cool huh?  These won’t be the “state fair” size radishes when planted that late, but they will be 5-12″ deep, maybe the size of your ring finger. It’s an idea to consider!

Written by Dave Robison · Categorized: Higher Yields, Radishes, Wheat · Tagged: cover crop radishes, radishes planted with wheat

Jun 16 2010

Crimson Clover; a jewel among the cover crop legumes

bee on crimson clover
Crimson clover is a top nitrogen producer and beautiful as well.

Crimson clover is a real jewel among the cover crop species.  Crimson clover is an excellent producer of nitrogen and there are some newer varieties on the market that are very winterhardy even into Michigan.  Dr. Eileen Kladivko measured how much nitrogen was produced by crimson clover in a test plot in western Indiana.  What she found was quite amazing!  After around 90 days the crimson clover had produced over 140# of nitrogen per acre!  Now, this was a limited test of one plot but the best of the other plots came in at just over 50# N produced.  That is a significant amount of nitrogen.

Crimson clover mixes very well with annual ryegrass (to help the ryegrass be healthier and growing better when there is no manure applied).  It also mixes well with cover crop radishes and or turnips.  Crimson clover is generally considered more shade tolerant so it works well aerial applied into standing corn.

Crimson clover MUST be inoculated for best success.

I have listed some advantages and disadvantages below:

Advantages of Crimson Clover:

  • There are some excellent new varieties on the market that are more winterhardy.
  • There are earlier maturing varieties that mature early enough to make more N in the spring before killing.
  • At around 90 days after wheat it can produce upwards towards 140 units of nitrogen.
  • Earthworms love the environment around the roots of crimson clover…it’s creates “earthworm heaven!”
  • It is easy to kill in the spring.

Disadvantages of Crimson Clover:

  • VNS and MOST older varieties will probably not survive the winter in the Midwest.
  • It has some hard seed so you may see some coming up some months after planting.
  • If it is a very late wet spring there is a slight chance the clover will re-seed itself.

Crimson in ARg
Crimson clover mixed with annual ryegrass is a great cover crop combination.
Crimsom roots
Properly inoculated crimson clover produces large and multiple nodules. Note the root hairs as well.

Written by Dave Robison · Categorized: Corn, Cover Crops and Earthworms, Crimson Clover, Higher Yields, Improved Varieties, Lower Inputs, Nitrogen from Cover Crops, Radishes, Soil Improvement, Types of Cover Crops, Wheat · Tagged: cover crops, Crimson Clover

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