Thumb of Michigan | BOGTROTTER - 7/24/2016 08:13
As for farming real flat black soils with lots of tile AND not needing to or being able to comprehend the benefits of cover crops, there are quite a few who do report here on the benefits that occur when you do. Some people just love the smell of earth worm death in the morning, with seagulls following the plow. I like seeing the swallows follow the planter thru a dying cover (generally weeds in my case, someday possibly a real sow cover crop)
Well yeahbut: no till and cover crops won't work here! ;)
I don't think I live in the epicenter of the area of where "it won't work here" locally. But I can see that area from here :)
As far as cover crops go, there are some special circumstances that warrant some care. Takes some extra management. Fact is, some of the very best sugar beet ground in Michigan also lends itself to plugged tile. From sugar beet roots primarily, but almost any crop can cause problems. I don't have what I consider the best sugar beet ground, and plugged tile from roots is an oddity for me. Not unheard of, but not an annual fix it thing.
There has been quite a resurgence of clover inter seeded into wheat here. I'm not a fan of clover, but something is better than nothing I guess. I think there is becoming a lot of awareness that maybe Grandpa was doing some things right, things like soil tilth and OM has been going the wrong way, and cover crops can play a role in stopping and even reversing that trend.
Edited by pat-michigan 7/24/2016 09:26
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John Phipps on agri talk? Not putting any cover crops in?
