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SE IL and SW IN | I cannot agree with you more when you say that every year is different. However after most of a lifetime of planting cover crops, I have developed guidelines that give me a high percentage chance of the cover meeting or exceeding minimum performance criterion on my farm. These guidelines are not foolproof as the 2012 crop has so vividly demonstrated, but I do know the risk when I plant outside those guidelines.
With tools such as the GDU calculator, it might give a producer the opportunity to make a better decision. The alternative is the pay the money to the seed salesman with best "try it it might work" story.
This field of corn might be an example. It was planted July 28, 2012, pix taken October 18, 2012. It was still shooting silks on that date. I don't know the whole story, but the grower is new to the area. Maybe a little heads-up that it was a bit late might be nice.
Edited by tntfarm 10/23/2012 09:36
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 DSC00509.jpg (67KB - 25 downloads)
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Documenting late planted cover crops
