|
southern MN | In a good year I get 80-100bu oats with very low fertility inputs. That is pretty good for around here. (I think dairy folk with high fertility soils can push 140 on a good year, but might often be in my range on a typical too wet, too hot year....) So I don’t believe my cover is hurting much. The oats outgrows and shades the turnips, clover, alfalfa pretty quickly. Those three species seem to tolerate the shade and just sit around ankle high until the oats starts turning color.
In my humid often wet area I prefer swathing my few acres. I guess I would be concerned if I straight combined, some years some of my covers can start growing taller as the oats dries down, most years wouldn’t be a big problem but sometimes.....
The hog manure applied after the straw is off is when the cover crops really take off, and the turnips grow so fast they split themselves open. They really are sponges.
I have used some herbicide, Brox or similar that doesn’t hurt oats or young alfalfa, also doesn’t seem to hurt clover or turnips either. It does help control my giant ragweed problem.
Paul
Edited by paul the original 10/18/2020 15:24
| |
|
Tillage radish
