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Thumb of Michigan | Lots of you have read or heard my cover crop theories. Busy now, but I'll throw in my "Readers Digest" version of my experiances. What I've found here may not be relevant in other areas so take it for what its worth.
1. When planting a grass into an established grass, the established grass wins. Always.
2. There are lots of things harder to kill than rye. Soft winter white wheat as a cover scares me and I ain't afraid of nuthin. My biggest train wrecks have been wheat getting away from me, not rye. Rye needs management, granted. And some good luck. Let wheat get away from you, and you're just screwed.
3. I like a legume or a plant that scavages lots of N ahead of corn, Rye will capture some, but theres better options if thats your only goal.
4. I would think you have time in N Mo. to get a variety of different covers out now. We're wet here, I'm going to go to the airport this week to see the crop duster. I'm afraid it will be late before I can spread my rye now. Generally speaking, the airplane packs way less ground. If everything goes right, he won't leave any tracks. And he doesn't have to wait for the combine.
5. Rolf Derpcsh (sp) has been using the roller/crimper deals in Argentina for many years. They spend very little $ building them, but I've never seen any very wide. My 60' "crimper" (my sprayer) I hope will grow into a 90' er this winter. Steve Groff from Pa has been using the Buffalo rig for a long time now, also. He likes to, among other things, knock rye over to plant pumpkins into. Keeps them from getting boogered up from laying on bare soil.
Thats all for this evening. Have a good one.
Edited by pat-michigan 10/11/2006 22:06
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corn cover crop
