|
Aberdeen MS | What I've found over the last 5 seasons Sheldon, any corn residue up off the ground will give a good headache attempting to managing it.
With it on the ground, the microbes can work on it. Some areas have a longer window fall and spring than others do. You have a bit longer than I, I have a bit longer than Lance does.
You and I have said it before, I'll say it again. The first year or two aren't too bad to manage the accumulation, get up to the 4th and 5th year, it can get frustrating. Keith went back to some tillage this spring if I remember correctly. His twin rows standing after harvest year after year just got to be too much.
2 factors hurt "here" for standing residue over winter, time frame I mentioned, the other is late spring snow. It's tough utilizing the soils capability when tilled fields are a week from working conditions and the residue covered field still has snow on it.
Like Lance mentioned, radiant energy is paramount for the northern climates to make use of a fuller season corn and get the highest potential the soil will give.
What I rolled this spring to get it on the ground showed excellent degradation this fall. That helps for next year.
I've rethought my recommendation on residue management starts at the combine the fall before, it actually starts the day you switch to conservation tillage. Just like any spring one gets behind the 8 ball, you never really catch up all year long. Bean residue, even though there is less in the fall, come spring there isn't as much as it is in the fall, it's on the ground not standing. By fall in the corn....hard to find it actually. I saw that with the stalks this spring. Only about 33% left from last fall.
There won't be any stalks standing "here" over winter anymore. Every year they were laid down, residue was manageable in the spring, standing up???? Get out the Advil, you will need it.
So far I've sized the stalks with getting them down...ie stak chopper. The mat doesn't hurt as much in the spring as one thinks it might. Some bare ground is visible. That helps evaporation and radiant warm up.
Many different ways to handle it in different areas. The above is what I've found works the best for me.
On the N in fall, 5 years with 50 units of N directly on the stalks in fall was pouring good money after bad 15 yrs ago. Don't think that has changed any "here". | |
|
Corn Residue Discussion Yesterday
