Clark SD | EB9 Farms - 2/2/2021 21:10
Makes a person wonder if the corn roots are following the rye cover crop down and expanding wider vs growing down?, Root structure difference between the corn and rye with rye having a fibrous mass at the upper profile from the higher plant population of rye and a few deeper roots. Dig some rye and compare? Might need another species of cover crop involved for a larger/ deeper root? Or is this some of the allopathic affect the rye can have on corn? It's been a few years since we have followed rye with corn have been using winter wheat, oats, and turnips with good luck, seems the root mass following covers with corn is compact and fibrous vs no cover crops having to scavenge for the groceries it wants.
You make some interesting points. I have on occasion when i take soil cores have intersected rye roots down as far as 4 ft.
What may be going on in this field since there was a layer of residue laying on the soil surface plus it being no-till for a number of years that there was moisture right up to near the soil surface that the roots didn't have to go so deep. |
corn roots
