The "Cover Crop Seed" was planted over 2 weeks ago expecting rain in a few days.  Two weeks later it did rain. Some light misty rain but mostly hard driving rains. 

 

While waiting for rain I also planted 8 acres of alfalfa seed. With the 4" of rain the radishes & alfalfa have germinated & are in their cotyledon stage.

 

The alfalfa was planted at 18 lbs/A  but with the pounding rains I now wish I had used closer to  30 lbs/A.

 

This 8 acres had radishes over the winter last season. 

I am pleased to report the ground had more moisture as the alfalfa was planted, than expected.

Not sure of the significance but this 8 acres is loaded with worm castings.

 

The new alfalfa field had no phosphate or potassium preplant. I am interested in the 2015 tissue analysis results.  Historically this field has been in alfalfa more years than any other of my ground.  We will see if the radish has sequestered some of the past fertility management.

 

Twenty years ago it received excessive application of phosphate,  just to see. I saw that did nothing exceptional. Fifteen years ago, in a fit that field received 2050 lbs/A of Potash. I was shooting for at least 2.40% K in the tissue test. Ten years ago I applied 500 lbs MOP, plus 1,500 lbs K-Mag and looking for The higher percentage of potassium.  The tissue analyses came back 3.00% K, but a week later the hay analysis was right on 2.40% K. Right on. That field was in corn & wheat after two years of alfalfa as we lost all the alfalfa to ( Drowning, or Wet Foot Root Rot ) probably Phythotohoria root rot. 

 

We are back into modification of my old rotation of Alfalfa following Alfalfa with 14 months summer fallow.

On reestablishing alfalfa I added one season in wheat followed by Fallow and then alfalfa. The latest modification is now wheat followed by Radishes followed by a by a couple of months of fallow and planting back.

 

Next I will look at interseeded radishes into the fifth season in alfalfa.  Followed by wheat,  followed by radishes into the stubble, & planting alfalfa that Fall.

 

 

 

Having a high shrink clay soil can be a pain, but one advantage is, the undisturbed soil with the wide cracks will take in at least 5" of rain, 4" for sure with zero runoff.

With the cracks closed we see major runoff with 1" of rain.

 

 

Bill