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| Hello Steve,
your comments make sense... all I am saying is that yellowing of radishes (or any other cover crop) doesn't necessarily mean that all the available N in the profile has been scavenged. Radishes stunted by over crowding
may grow shallower roots and thus miss out on N deeper in the profile (that would be accessible to more vigorous plants).
Loss of nitrate by leaching and/or denitrification in excessively wet soils can clearly accelerate N deficiency symptoms but excessive wetness can also lead to unhealthy roots with reduced ability to take up N and other nutrients.
There is plenty of anecdotal evidence that radishes don't like "wet feet" but it would interesting to know why... a better understanding of the mechanisms might lead to improved genetics or management practices that expand the adaptability of radishes.
It would be great to have a cover crop that is well adapted for improving drainage in wet spots.
Joel
WIU Agriculture
Edited by jbgruver 11/25/2009 09:02
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Our tillage radish crop so far
