Cover Crops and USDA.

Cover Crops and USDA.

cover crops

In past years, using cover crops and crop insurance had sometimes been in conflict.  These issues had been addressed, but USDA recently came out with new guidelines that clear things up and seem to fit into most management situations.  It you go to the USDA cropland page  and look on the left side of the page to click on the Cover Crops Termination Guidelines, you will get a download that tells you all the rules.

Responsible Nutrient Management

Responsible Nutrient Management

cover crops Nutrient Management Soil Management

We have spent the past three days at the National No-Till Conference in St. Louis.  Not only is this a great No-Till Conference, but it is a great crop production conference.

At the Luncheon on the first day, Responsible Nutrient Management Practitioners we awarded for their diligence in taking care of their soil nutrient levels.  Jason Carter, Mike Werling, and Mike Taylor were recognized for their nutrient management programs.  Jason Carter is using chicken litter to build his soils up.  His program also includes annual soil testing to measure progress.  As his soil has improved, he has cut back on chicken litter.

Mike Werling is looking at economics and applying fertilizer at modest rates to maximize profits.  He soil tests every three years.  Cover cr ops are also a component of his program.  Werling uses less than one pound per bushel of corn to produce high yields economically.

Mike Taylor makes sure his soil tests correlate with soil types on his farm.  He also uses cover crops and lower than average fertilizer rates to produce higher than average yields.  He uses variable rate technology as appropriate and also applies in row fertilizer to spoon feed his crops.  He is using No-till and cover crops to improve organic matter levels on the topsoil.

Planting Corn in Cereal Rye Cover Crop

Planting Corn in Cereal Rye Cover Crop

cover crops

We have seen issues with planting corn into cereal rye cover crops.  I have always thought that killing the cereal rye early could help.  Researchers at Iowa State University have found that cereal rye supports the growth of microbes that can be damaging to corn seedlings.  They found that earlier kills worked better.  They also suggest that nitrogen at planting time can help promote healthier corn plants.  We have also found that with low soil test sulfur, rye can create a sulfur deficiency.  Sulfur at planting is also a good idea.  See what they say about reducing the risk of corn seedling disease and yield loss after cereal rye.

Carbon Nitrogen Ratios

Carbon Nitrogen Ratios

cover crops Nitrogen management

Carbon Nitrogen Ratios were studied at University of Nebraska to see how much nitrogen is contributed to the next year's crop.  It is interesting that in looking at Carbon Nitrogen Ratios in cover crops that it appears that a high tonnage crop like cereal rye may actually contribute more nitrogen than a legume crop that fixes nitrogen from the air.  I would like to do some in season nitrogen testing to confirm this, but it looks interesting enough to pass along for consideration.

Turbo-Till Seeder

Turbo-Till Seeder

cover crops Vertical Tillage

Seeding cover crops effectively can be an issue.  I have seen the results from the Turbo-till Seeder with a seeding attachment.  Stands are nice and even with good emergence.  It seems to work better than vertical tillage after broadcasting seed.

Iowa Cover Crops

Iowa Cover Crops

cover crops

My Iowa reporter sent the photographs below of cover crops in Iowa.

Cereal Rye

Cereal Rye

Oats and Radish

Oats and Radish

Fall Weed Control

Fall Weed Control

cover crops weed control

I have written several times on fall weed  control.  Early on, I failed to see the value.  With resistant weeds and heavy pressure, fall weed control is making sense to me at this point.  One fall weed control technique is to use fall applied herbicide.  A residual herbicide will not only supress the winter annuals, but i will also give some early spring control.  Use herbicides if you have n ot planned on cover crops.

The second technique of course it to use cover crops.  Weed suppression will last well into the growing season, and I have seen very good results.  You may still be able to get cereal rye seed to sow on fields that are going to soybeans next spring.  If this is your first time to use cover crops, I do not recommend planting corn into cereal rye.  I have one customer who is planning to do so, but he has done a lot of research on the subject before taking the plunge.

No-till Farmer says Weed Control and Soil Health go Hand in Hand.