| Usedtofarm - 12/16/2022 16:43
My question is "If it's that dry why are the fields so bare" ? Why no cover left on top?
Because it's dry...
edit to expand.. we’re triggered on La Niña just like last year.. the which hammered north of us in the Dakota’s.. etc.. This drought was deceptive.. I mean we’re usually dry.. so the spring starts.. and we start to fall behind.. for us.. we captured about 4 to 5” of needed precip near the end of May first of June.. most of the wheat had started to turn.. it helped some late maturing but possibly washed a little test weight out of some other to our south? Kind of a kick “we’ll NOW it rains.. where was this 3 weeks ago when it could have added bushels?”
Not picking on neighbor.. just a “wow it’s dry” story.. the debate on cover crops here is loss of soil moisture vs cover crop benefits.. we do irrigated cover crops but seldom water.. Covers work best for livestock grazing programs.. “here.” The neighbor let his cover.. or was it wheat? Nope must be a cover.. crop.. go.. then sprayed.. later than the rest of us.. to seed back a sorghum “crop”.. only about 5% of it emerged. (Again I’m not picking.. other years that would/should have been okay.. “Wow.. it’s dry.” Basically wasn’t anything to harvest.. or even bale.
we harvested our drought shortened wheat crop and Ma Nature really turned the tap off.. blades.. well.. we’ll wait for rain..harder then a rock so need to bust this open.. mid late July..?? SW Kansas some got up to 3”.. we were suppose to get a little.. got like 0.45” ish.. okay started the chisel.. will need moisture to break back down.. but “surely” something will come.. typical July in Kansas vibe.
nothing.. other then glorified mistings.. 0.05”.. 0.2”.. we had an inch plus on August 27th.. started to field cultivate the heavier ground.. less on the sand so stopped..
that was it till November 4th.
We usually get something to drill into.. but not this year.
So we seeded deep.. about 1.75”.. I didn’t want it to sprout and die on a misting.. so went deep.. right call on the sand.. got it.. mostly up.
I forgot I plowed the heavier ground last year.. oops.. anyway the drill went in an extra.. 0.25” in spots.. so when the rains came in November… we had 0.75” in 20 minutes.. so hard that water was running across the road.. on 0.75”?!? Then another almost inch.. so cross drilled that..
and after 85lbs the first time.. followed by 40 lbs the 2nd.. got.. it somewhat covered fingers crossed that it fills in.. by spring. So it goes.
neighbor said.. “this is a year where nobody will be wrong..some drilled shallow and got it up.. and nobody will be right.. but also some shallow blew out and or may die on winter kill.. too deep.. well see above.. so.. ??
i didnt wanna touch it in front of the drill so a pass of rup.. then the drill.. some ran a cultivator..(good luck holding that..) but brought just enough moisture up.. to get it emerged.. see picture below.. but man is it shifty.
no right answers.. just make a decision and roll with it.
fwiw.
one of those years.
Edited by JonSCKs 12/17/2022 10:02
 (IMG_20221009_092114551 (full).jpg)
Attachments
----------------
 IMG_20221009_092114551 (full).jpg (173KB - 91 downloads)
|
HRW crop blowing out..
