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Some Rain, Too Late. Cover Crops May Help Protect Soil, Save Nutrients

The half-inch or so of rain in the Midwest this week has sprouted spirits, although with more warm weather forecast, the prospect for a reversal of fortunes on most corn crops is slim. The worst drought in more than 50 years has farmers mowing starved and stunted corn for sileage and bracing for similar hits with soybeans. (Make sure to check the nitrate levels in the corn stalks before saving it…too high a nitrate level can be fatal to livestock.) Even those able to salvage a corn crop this year will see vastly reduced yields.

Purdue’s Extension forage specialist Keith Johnson today recommended planting annual ryegrass, or another forage crop such as spring oat or forage turnip. Seeded early enough (August), farmers could get a grazing off the grass this fall, as well as next spring. Ryegrass would normally have a better chance of wintering over than oats or turnips.

Perhaps the only “silver lining” in the drought news is that there’s probably a lot of residual fertility in the soil that can be saved by planting a late summer cover crop, according to Nick Bowers, a seed grower in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. The good news with annual ryegrass: it’s inexpensive, it’s a scavenger of excess N in the soil and, even if it doesn’t germinate this fall, it will sprout next spring. If normal rainfall picks up, aerial seeding will be adequate, but drilling is otherwise advised. For more on seeding, check out this page.

Looking for another silver lining? Iowa State University climatologist Owen Taylor said it appears that this weather pattern – similar to 1956 and 1988 – comes in 20 year cycles. It appears, Taylor said, that we’re headed back to a “normal” pattern with an El Nino forming. Keep your fingers crossed.

 

Cover Crops This Fall Will Save Some Money on Nitrogen Next Year

All that corn in the field, dying. And with it, the prospect of additional losses of nitrogen fertilizer. If fields are mowed, or plowed under, in the wake of no-show corn, what happens to the nitrogen this fall, when the rains come? Leached out, poured into streams and rivers, sent to the already toxic Gulf of Mexico.

Cover crops, like annual ryegrass, prevent erosion. Just as importantly, they sequester nitrogen, acquiring what’s been left in the soil (normally 100-200 pounds/acre) and make much of it available next July, when maturing corn is looking for a boost.

Economically strapped farmers may be loathe to invest in cover crop seed for the fall when their insurance checks are still pending. Even more so for those without insurance. But if they’re going to plant corn next year, a cover crop this winter will be a huge asset next year. Even without a return on their corn investment this year, planting a cover crop can prevent further losses to erosion, while storing nitrogen for the crop next July and building soil more tolerant of drought.

 

Drought-stricken corn field: June 16 (left) and July 2 (right) – Robertson Farm, Benton, IL

Annual ryegrass, planted this fall (Aug. and early Sept), will send roots down to five feet in no-till acres, breaking up compaction and mining nutrients in deeper soil. Next spring, the nitrogen-rich cover crop will be killed before planting corn, and can give back as much as 70 percent of the stored nitrogen to maturing corn plants. Meanwhile, the deep roots of annual ryegrass become part of the growth of organic matter in healthy soil, even as corn roots grow past to reach deeper moisture in a dry year.

More info: www.ryegrasscovercrop.com

Contact: Dan Towery – IN agronomist, educator, former NRCS staffer: 765-490-0197.

 

Cover Crops Won’t Help the Corn Today. But They Will for Next Year.

The summer of 2012 has already shown up as a total bust for some corn and soybean acres in the Midwest. Some counties have already been declared a disaster; some acres have been mowed or plowed under. To read a recent New York Times article about the severe drought and its impact click here:

Yesterday, an email from Mike Plumer, about the dire straits in Illinois.

My part of Illinois will be lucky to get 20 bu/a corn and right now soybeans are 4 leaves and blooming so there is little yield expected.   It is 107 again today.  Many double crop acres were not planted so that is a possible site for early cover crops.

The big issue is how RMA will address yield losses and what they will pay—and when they will release the farmer to destroy the crop.   Some areas have been “zeroed” out and farmers have already mowed the corn.   I have been north to south in the state and there are very few areas that will be normal yield, and [accepting a] 50 bu/a loss would be nice [as an alternative to a total loss].   Field at Springfield I estimated Tuesday at 45bu/a. corn.

Our moisture here came as a 60mph hail storm, quarter-sized hail off and on for an hour,,, about 1-2” deep plus 3-5” of rain in 20 minutes—it was 111 degrees when the hail started.   All soybeans gone, broken off at the ground and corn is very damaged.  At least there is some soil moisture.   I will replant plots tomorrow and start on some cover crops on my farm.

 

“Keep Up the Progressive Effort” on Cover Crops and No-Till, Says Dobberstein

John Dobberstein is managing editor of No–Till Farmer and the Conservation Tillage Guide.

Today, in the magazine’s E-Tip newsletter, he tipped his hat to those no-till and cover crop innovators for helping to change the face of agriculture…perhaps globally!

While some farmers have no-tilled and planted cover crops for decades, the practice has only taken serious root in the past eight to 10 years. The Oregon Ryegrass Commission has played a strategic role in that effort. With long time cooperation between Oregon annual ryegrass seed growers and University Extension agents like Mike Plumer and crop consultants like Dan Towery, a decade of trials attracted a lot of followers. Quickly, innovative farmers showed their neighbors, and conservation tillage was launched.

The Ryegrass Commission also sponsored early conferences on no-till and cover crop management, because they wanted to keep errors at a minimum. The last thing one wants is a bad experience to spoil the potential for growth.

So, here’s Dobberstein’s comments about the growth of no-till and cover crops, and his hearty encouragement to keep up the good effort. Click here for the full newsletter:

In the last month, while listening to leaders in both the private sector and federal government, no-till continues to be talked about on a national and global scale as a way to ease environmental and food-production challenges. Here’s what I’ve seen:

• Early in June, BASF held its Agricultural Solutions Media Summit (check out our Tweets) and tackled the issue of sustainability in food systems. A new research tool unveiled by the company, AgBalance, showed the use of conservation tillage had increased by 13% in Iowa between 2000 and 2010, and that a variety of best-management practices and hybrid improvements boosted the overall sustainability of corn production in the state by 40% during that time.

• Just yesterday, the USDA announced another $8.4 million in funding for voluntary farming-related projects that will address water-quality issues in several states bordering the Mississippi River. No-till, precision technology and cover crops will be crucial in this effort.

“Cover crops are one of the most exciting things that we’re doing,” said NRCS chief Dave White. “When I was growing up, it was winter wheat or cereal rye that was discussed. But now we’re getting different mixes out there with many different species.”

 

Michigan State Univ. Touts Annual Ryegrass – With Stringent Managment

MSU Extension reported yesterday as popularity grows for annual ryegrass cover crops, it’s important to be aware of the optimal conditions under which to control it, burning it down in the spring before planting corn or soybeans.

MSU conducted field tests on annual ryegrass, and the results are beneficial for soil health and for achieving conservation goals (less erosion, less nutrient loss off fields, deeper rooting, more crop access to moisture in dry years, etc.)

Here is a section of their report. Click here to read the entire document and see photos.

In the last several years annual ryegrass (AR) has become a popular cover crop in the Midwest. It has most often been used in no-till farming systems in Indiana, Illinois and Ohio. Michigan farmers have increased their use of annual ryegrass as new varieties have been released.

The root system for AR is massive and can grow up to three times deeper than its top growth. In other words, 10 inches of above ground growth can result in 30 inches of root growth. The fibrous root system for annual ryegrass can really enhance soil quality. When properly killed annual ryegrass is a great cover crop.

The best results for controlling annual ryegrass have been when annual ryegrass is actively growing and the air temperature is above 60° Fahrenheit.

Our study is looking at applying four different herbicide treatments at three different growth stages of annual ryegrass. These include annual ryegrass at: 6-8 inches, 10+ inches and after planting. Due to a cool spring, the best environmental conditions for controlling annual ryegrass were difficult. We actually had our best control of annual ryegrass when it was over 12 inches tall. We had better control of annual ryegrass on our higher sandier ground as compared to the lower high organic matter locations.

Successful Annual Ryegrass Burndown Recipe

Here are a few observations and comments on annual ryegrass burndown this year:

  1. ARG plants need to be actively growing for at least a week to ensure all plants are indeed actively growing
  2. To kill the annual ryegrass, I always recommend 1.25 lbs a.i./a of glyphosate
  3. Always recommend at least 1 pt 2,4-D
  4. Adding Basis , Sharpen or Canopy with the glyphosate worked well this year (some fields initially had about 95% kill with this combination  but after additional 5-7 days all annual ryegrass plants were dead). This also provide multiple modes of action. More work on timing and rates is needed.
  5. Adding atrazine or Callisto to the glyphosate (especially with cool conditions) will result in poor control of the annual ryegrass
  6. In a normal spring with cool temperatures  glyphosate doesn’t translocate well, so, the following is  recommended:
    1. Reduce carrier to 8-12 gal/ac
    2. Use AMS and also lower water pH to 4.5 to 5.5
    3. Spray on a sunny day if possible
    4. Stop spraying mid afternoon so that there is at least 5 hours of sunlight.

 

Yes, growers using annual ryegrass as a cover crop also have some additional management details to learn.  But it seems once they understand and believe these recommendations, then most of their problems also go away.

I have seen much lower broadleaf pressure on fields where growers are using cereal rye and annual ryegrass.  I have also observed these cover crops eliminating marestail (includging RR resistant marestail).

 

 

 

NW Indiana SWCD Research Report on Cover Crops including Annual Ryegrass

The Jasper/Newton Counties Soil and Water Conservation District report on cover crops (click here to see the whole report) is further proof of the efficacy of cover crops. Some highlights:

Here are the goals farmers (in their own words) are trying to accomplish:

  • Capture nitrogen
  •  Promote soil biology
  •  Improve soil quality
  •  Address compaction
  •  Reduce weed population
  •  Manure nutrient capture
  •  Prevent wind and water erosion
  •  Build organic matter
  •  Provide nitrogen credit
  •  Break hardpan layers
  •  Increase yields
  •  Reduce risk of drought
  •  Diversify rotation
  •  Be a steward

Pits dug, both in the fall after planting and again this spring, allowed a close look at how annual ryegrass and other cover crop varieties accomplished the task of breaking up compaction.Among the best, and no surprise here, was that annual ryegrass roots were found at depths of 3 to 4 feet.

Dan Perkins, the Watershed & Conservation Program Specialist who produced the report, also has some videos from the cover crop plots. Here’s one in which he shows off the fields with annual ryegrass, crimson clover and radish, and discusses the logic and process of successfully killing the cover crop in the spring.

Control of Annual Ryegrass

Problems can arise with any crop, and the problems multiply when management is lax. Cover crops are no exception.

Annual ryegrass has proven to be a valuable cover crop in numerous locations throughout the Midwest, Eastern Seaboard, Northern Plains states and even into southern reaches of Canadian provinces.

But, wherever you’re located, it’s important to follow basic management protocols when planting a cover crop.

1. Plant it at the right time (just before harvest, or just after) in the fall, when precipitation is expected. Doing so allows the cover crop sufficient time to establish before winter sets in and sends the cover crop into dormancy.

2. Kill the cover crop properly. Annual ryegrass is a vigorous plant and it takes sufficient ooomph to knock it out in the spring.

Try this recipe:1.5 quarts of glyphosate into 12 gallons of water. Use citric acid (or ammonium sulphate) to attain the optimum pH balance for the mix. Add Canopy (2.1 oz) and 2-4D (either a pint or a quart, depending on the cover crop).

3. The weather, the temperature and time of application are very important factors in management of cover crops. Overnight temperatures should consistently be above freezing. (It’s important that the annual ryegrass be completely out of dormant phase when the herbicide is applied.)

Moreover, daytime temperatures should be above 50 degrees, the weather dry, and spraying herbicides must be done early enough in the day to allow trans-location of the chemical into the plant. Best times to spray – between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.

4. Scouting the acreage is part of the protocol. There are times when a second application is necessary, especially when the first application was applied when the conditions weren’t ideal.

For more information, click here

Midwest Cover Crop Council Publishes Cover Crop Manual

Producers who want to prevent soil erosion, improve nutrient cycling, sustain their soils, and protect the environment have been returning to a very old practice: planting cover crops.

Although farmers have been using cover crops for centuries, today’s producers are part of a generation that has little experience with them.  As they rediscover the role that cover crops can play in sustainable farming systems, many growers find they lack the experience and information necessary to take advantage of all the potential benefits cover crops can offer.  That inexperience can lead to costly mistakes.

This guide will help you effectively select, grow, and use cover crops in your farming systems.  While this guide isn’t the final word on cover crops, it is meant to be a useful reference.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE AND TO ORDER THE BOOK

http://www.ag.purdue.edu/agry/dtc/Pages/CoverCropsFG.aspx

 

Researchers Experimenting with Very Early Seeding of Cover Crops

Agronomy researchers in Pennsylvania and Quebec, Canada, are finding success with planting annual ryegrass and other cover crops early in the late spring, when corn is about knee high (“lay-by time”).

The more traditional time to plant annual ryegrass is either immediately after harvest or just before harvest. In both cases, cover crops are weather dependent…they need enough water to germinate and enough growing time before a killing frost to get established. More farmers are aerial seeding annual ryegrass just before harvest, which give it extra days or weeks to establish. Aerial seeding also frees up farmers during an already busy harvest time.

But few have tried seeding annual ryegrass in the late spring, thinking the shade of the corn would stifle growth and the heat of the summer would suffocate it. But over a three year trial in Quebec, the annual ryegrass established in the spring and, because it is shade tolerant, managed to stay alive throughout the summer. Then, once the corn was harvested, the fall weather gave the annual ryegrass all the daylight it needed to thrive.

In Pennsylvania, researchers are working with a new piece of equipment that will seed the cover crop, while also applying herbicide (for residual annual weeds) and fertilizer for the corn.

With a longer growing season, annual ryegrass will better survive harsh winters, sending down deeper roots.

More testing on this seeding method is necessary to prove its value elsewhere, but the results are promising.