|
SE IL and SW IN | You have a good handle on the question Matt. Mhagny has the obvious but universally true answer.
The question that I have tried to raise and find answers for is this:
I know that I have a finite number of crops to get my farm where I want it before I retire or cannot physically continue to operate it.
It has taken > 20 years of continuous no-till with 15 years of continuous corn with cover crops to achieve my best results to date, and I know that we can improve on these results. I do not have the luxury of time on all my fields that are not this far along in the program.
There is a finite amount of nutrients available for a cover crop to immobilize and recycle and adding nutrients for the sole purpose of growing the residue is not cost effective. Growing N with legumes and translocating mineralized nutrients is possible and desirable, but takes time.
In years where we have the luxury of planting a somewhat balanced mix of covers terminated in a timely manner we have little/no problems with nutrient deficiency, however in years where the cover is more likely a grass monoculture because everything else died we have issues.
So, how do I maximize my sequestered and immobilized organic component without reducing the yield of the cash crop in the most cost and time efficient manner? (KNOWING FULL WELL THAT I WILL PUSH THIS STRATEGY BEYOND THE BRINK OF EFFICIENCY)
Edited by tntfarm 12/17/2014 10:30
| |
|
cover nutrient tie up
